More Pictures

So my camera has emotional issues and only works half the time. Lanae posted so many great photos on her blog, so I stole some of hers :)

Here Lanae, Amy, and I are at the Joseph Smith Memorial


That night we had a Christmas Eve dinner with Jared's parents, and Kent's Uncle Wayne and Aunt Laurie and their kids Sommer, Amber, and Tiffany and her family.


Here are some more great pictures from our Tubing trip at Soldier's Hollow. Doesn't Austin look like a Marshmallow?



Then we went to Don Pedro's for dinner. It was probably the best Mexican Food I have ever had. Kent and I were advised to split a plate and I'm so glad we did. The Chalupa was as big as my head!



And here's Jordan with his Jersey at Dinner. He was too funny. He got that Cowboy's jersey for Christmas, so that he could switch out with his BYU jersey. That just didn't work though...he would wear the BYU jersey underneath too! It was especially cute when it was time for bed and he wore his PJs OVER the 2 jerseys! Haha!



Thanks Lanae for "sharing" ;)

Tubing!

Oh my coldness!

Well, we survived! To sum up the Utah experience in one word, "cold." 

We had an absolute BLAST though! On Monday we drove up and stayed in Camp Verde, AZ with my Aunt April and Uncle Jim. They made us the most delicious beef stew which I think kept us warm for our trip :) On Tuesday we drove the rest of the way up to Draper, UT. The drive was absolutely beautiful as areas were covered with a fresh blanket of snow. Luckily, driving between Kanab and Panguitch we were stuck behind the snow plow.

We then spent the next few days with Lanae and her family. Her boys are just wonderful (I'm sure the 3rd one will fit in just fine!). Jordan has no problem telling anyone what he wants or how he wants it, and Austin is still just figuring everything out. He has the cutest little laugh. On Christmas morning when he came downstairs and saw the race tracks, he stamped his feet and giggled. It was absolutely adorable! 

While we were there we went to Temple Square, the mall, and spent time with some of Kent's cousins as well. Lanae and Jared also took us up to Soldier's Hollow. It is a ski/tubing area not too far from them. It was especially nice because we would sit in our tubes and a lift would take us up. 

Here are some pictures of just how much snow fell while we were there too. It took Kent and I (well, just Kent) about an hour to dig ourselves out.

We loved Tubing! I'm posting a video showing the "rush!" I wish I had shot the video of our 1st trip down because I screamed the whole time! Haha...this time Kent and I had a rough start ;)

Thanks Lanae and Jared for an AWESOME holiday!!!

Celebrate good times, C'mon!

Let the count down begin! I cannot believe we'll be heading off for Utah in a week and that Christmas is just around the corner...maybe it's time I do my Christmas shopping. I left Kent alone in the valley yesterday so that he could hit each mall without the possibility of running into me ;)

Saturday was an absolute blast. My Job's Daugthers Bethel celebrated it's 20th birthday! The girls put together such a wonderful celebration for it and I was so happy I could make it down to Tucson to share in the festivities. I loved talking with everyone and sharing stories about our favorite memories...campout pranks, ritual and choir competitions, and all of the sillyness us girls shared together over the years! We all brought our quilts and scrapbooks from our terms as well. These girls have been more than friends over the years and I truly think of each one as a sister. I know we will always be close.

I quickly rushed back up to Chandler to see my Honeymuffin. I missed him SO much. I do not remember the last time I went to T-town without him and I don't think I will again anytime soon. Last night we went up to Tempe and got dinner at Panda Express and dropped into Chili's to say hi to Amy. Then we went to a Christmas light/boat parade at Tempe Town Lake. The park was lit up with lights everywhere, they had live music, and food and games. At 7 everyone lined the shore and watched about 40 boats cruise down the lake, completely decked out in Christmas lights. I tried taking pictures of some of my favorites, but my camera was having issues :( We then watched a nice fireworks show over the water. We laughed as we realized that was the 3rd or 4th time THIS YEAR we had watched fireworks there! Needless to say, it was a very chilly and fun night! 

This week we'll be winding down with Real Estate classes and gearing up for the Holidays. We'll also be tying up a few loose ends with the business issues. On Friday we interviewed a woman to be our Broker and we just love her. The 3 of us are on the same wave length and were just amazed at how much we all had in common. I think we'll be inviting her to come on board starting in January. 

Today we're just trying to stay warm. Amy may join us for dinner and then I think we're going to take a drive around to look at lights. We do love the holidays!

Go Devils Go!

What a fun weekend we had! One of my very best friends, Jeanette, and her boyfriend, Bryan, invited us to go to the ASU vs. UofA game in Tucson. This is always the biggest game of the year as the two schools are rivals and this was the last game of the season. As ASU fans on UofA soil, we were prepared to be ridiculed and whatnot, but it really wasn't that bad. Good thing we let the UofA win (10-31, ouch) this year ;) otherwise we probably would have been mutilated by one ANGRY stampede.

After the game we stopped to get some Eeggee's and then spent the night at Jeanette's parents house.

When we got back to our house in Chandler, it was FREEZING!!! We hadn't turned on the heater yet, but today has been so cold and we finally gave in. It was hard to go to church, because we just want to cuddle up in our jammies. We were going to go to the Temple Lights tonight, but it's just too stinkin' cold.

This will be my 2nd week of Real Estate School and then I have 1 more day after that. It has been really enjoyable this time around and each day I look forward to going. 

We're still unsure about what is going on with Kent's licensing and the Department of Real Estate. This has not been a fun trial for us and I for one am ready for it to be over. Our current Broker has really been great through everything and has definitely been a "tender mercy." I know everything will work out in the end, I just want to know when and how "work out in the end" is defined in this case.

Well, I think that's all for now. Have a happy week :)

ThanksFOODing

Phew! I survived!

 This year Kent and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house. I am proud to say that I finally got a system that works. Last year I cooked EVERYTHING on Christmas morning (bad idea). This year I heded my mother's advice and cooked everything the day before. I spent all day Wednesday in the Kitchen, and I definitely think it was worth it :) 

I am also very proud of my Turkey. It was absolutely beautiful- I should have taken a picture. I went along with the crowd and let it sit overnight in a brine. It was definitely more work, but I think it was worth it.

I was completely exhausted on Wednesday night, as you can see in the photo. BUT, I looked all fresh on Thanksgiving which is what is important right?

Before Dinner, we had some appetizers- a Jallepino Popper Cheeseball, Bruschetta, Tiger Butter, Shrimp Cocktail, and Jobie punch. It was just enough to wet our Turkey appetites!

My parents, Aunt April and Uncle Jim, and Kent's Sister Amy and her boyfriend Greg, joined us for dinner. We were hoping my Cousin Todd and his wife Leila could make it, but they came down with terrible colds and the drive from Cali would just be too much. We definitely missed them! We were nice enough to take a break from our Dinner and let them know how much we missed them ;)

On Friday night Kent and I also decided to set up our Tree. Growing up we always had a real tree, and last year I had to beg for Kent's mercy to even get a FAKE tree! He was a little more excited about it this year which was nice. He even decorated it :) My efforts this year will be for an actual tree skirt and not just a blanket.

Now we have one holiday under our belts and we're onto the next one. We will not be hosting Christmas this year and will be heading up to see Lanae's family (my Sister in-law) in Utah. We are really excited to spend Christmas with her family and see the magic of Sant Clause through her boys' eyes. 

In the meantime, we're still "battling" with ADRE- rediculous! Some things never change...we'll keep you posted!

We hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Busy busy BUSY!

What a busy week we've had and we're geering up for an even BUSIER one! The main hilight of this week (besides grocery shopping for Thanksgiving) was getting together with my parents to play a little disc golf up in Fountain Hills. We had such a blast playing with them, teasing them, and just laughing for a few hours. We then went to Arriba for some Mexican Food. 

On Wednesday Kent went to the 3rd Annual Entrepreneur Convention. It had a slow start, but he really got a lot out of it and met some new people. While we're not always passionate about the same topics, I love seeing him get so excited! He came home and talked my ear off for a good hour.

While he was away, I organized and rearranged our home office. Along with implementing a new filing system, I moved the desk about 6 inches. I know you're thinking, "that's nice, but 6 inches? So after 5 minutes what did you do?" I will have you know that this desk weighs probably 300 lbs and I'm only about 90. Do the math and you'll be impressed too :) That 6 inches did make all of the difference though!

On Friday, Kent and I trekked over to the ADRE office to see if we could move the Broker's license process any faster. I don't know exactly why we thought that, but all that was accomplished were 2 stress headaches and a grumpy Friday night. Thanks to my mom blabbing about the situation to a family friend, we have a wonderful Real Estate Attorney now. He really knows how the department works as he has worked there and represented clients against them as well. HOPEFULLY he'll be able to move along some resolve on our behalf. Our current Broker closes his doors in T-minus 7 days (4 of those days being a holiday weekend). 

I am just about set for Thanksgiving this week. I have my menu in place and just about all of the groceries I need. I will be brining the Turkey, so I am excited to see how it turns out. I've never brined anything before nor have I ever cooked a Turkey. Yesterday I dried out the bread cubes for the stuffing. It reminded me of being at my Grandma's one summer when she covered the Ping Pong table with bread cubes to make the stuffing for a Church Picnic. As kids we were completely devistated, BUT 20 years later...I knew how to dry bread :)

Well happy feasting to everyone this week!

San Diego Part Deux

San Diego Photos

Well I finally figured out how to post photos IN the blog and not on the side :) "Desktop Publishing Goddess" my butt! 

Happy 1 year to us, San Diego style!

Boy oh boy was this past week an absolute BLAST!!! Kent and I went to San Diego to celebrate our 1st Wedding Anniversary! Yippee!!

I had planned the entire trip about a month ago. You know me...reservations were made, maps were printed, and itineraries were in place. You also know Kent though and 2 days before we were set to go, he said, "let's go now!" So we did- well almost, at least as quickly as I was able to get everything packed!

We left Saturday morning and headed to San Ellijo, which is the beach we had camped at when we 1st started dating. Upon our arrival, we learned that California was on Fall Break, so there was not a single site open. We managed to "buddy up" with another family and camped at a beautiful site overlooking the beach.

We spent the next day at the mall and checked into our cabin. We also busted out the top of our wedding cake. The bakery we had ordered our wedding cake from a year ago, recreates the top piece for your 1, 5, 10, 25, and so on...anniversaries. Funny enough, I didn't like our cake at our wedding, but this year it was quite scrumptious!

In the morning we headed out to play disc golf. The weather was absolutely beautiful. I really enjoyed the course as there were so many trees and hills to play around and in between. We then headed over to Old Town and did a little window shopping and looked at the replicas they have set up there.

I had planned a little romantic/sentimental evening for us at Pacific Beach Pier. We played some paddle ball and then took our seats for the sunset. I had brought along a vase with blue, tan, and white sand. We poured the sand into the vase in different layers, which represents us joining our lives together. It turned out really pretty, and the amazing part is that it survived the trip back to Arizona! We then had dinner at "Moondoggies." It was so good! We will definitely eat there again :)

The next day we spent the morning in the hot tub and just relaxed. We also went to the San Diego Temple. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! We want to get a divorce, just so we can get remarried in that Temple because it was just breathtaking! Just when you think you've seen it all, you go up another staircase in which there is an atrium with so many beautiful flowers. I did not want to leave!

We then headed to the Children's Pool in La Jolla. It was such a neat beach and conservatory. It was a little too late in the day to see the Seals, but I really enjoyed venturing out onto the rocks and looking at all of the natural beauty that lives there.

Now we are back at home and have decided that we'll go ahead and give in another year :) We were so busy during this past year and I didn't ever really have the whole, "newlywed, googly-eyed, butterflied" feeling. Now I feel it though. I have such an awesome husband! After this trip, all I want to do is gaze into his eyes and giggle. Pathetic, I know. Hmmm...I love you Honeymuffin!

My parents are coming up to Scottsdale for the week, so we'll be getting together with them and are looking forward to it. They had to put their dog, Guy, down on Tuesday, so I think this trip will be good for them too.

This whole Property Management/Brokerage thing is a big ol' mess, so we'll update you on the outcome when we finally get to it :)

The Last of the Firsts

Well, this is Kent's and my last week of our first year of being married. It is almost bittersweet. I have enjoyed being a newlywed...you get so much attention! At the same time, it will be nice to get SOME credibility when we talk about "what has worked for us..."

I would say that we haven't been your typical "newlyweds" though. I think we've been pretty down to earth with the whole thing. We didn't spend hours and hours gazing into each other's eyes whispering sweet nothings. We've been busy dang it!

So here it is, our year-in-review (just in case you missed something!)...

We were sealed for time and all eternity on November 10th, 2007 in the Mesa, AZ Temple. Kent's Grandfather came down from Idaho and performed the ceremony. We then headed off (without my flowers) to Portico for our ring ceremony and reception. Fun was had by all.



Since we closed on our house only 2 days before the wedding, not a THING was set up. I was looking forward to running into Target in my wedding dress to buy some sheets, but my cousins didn't go for that. They snuck away from the reception and set everything up for us.

The next morning Kent whisked me away to San Diego and we headed out on our 7 day cruise to Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Viarta. We took a total of 3 pictures, however I will always remember the crystal clear beaches, exhilarating cab rides, and just the pure joy of being on a honeymoon!

We hit Fry's grocery store on the way home as we had no food. It was there on Aisle 7 where we had our 1st fight ever! Kent has come a long way since then and now understands that we no longer eat processed foods with high sodium levels, as cheap as they may be :)

A few days later we headed out for Houston. I was sick as a dog (story of the year) and prayed that I would at least feel better for our Open House. We spent Thanksgiving with the Attaya side and my brother flew in as he had just finished Ranger School. Miraculously the day after we arrived, I couldn't even tell I had been sick! The Attayas threw us such a beautiful Open House and I enjoyed meeting Kent's friends.

I then had a few weeks off before starting my new job at UOP. I was miserable. The painters hadn't finished painting when we got back from Houston, we couldn't move any furniture in because we were planning to get new carpet, and I just didn't feel "at home." We didn't have any pots and pans and had to resort to grilling our food at the park down the street! However, things came together and we were settled in!

Just before Christmas I started working at the University of Phoenix as the Real Estate market took a complete nosedive. Kent continued to stay busy with the Property Management and being a "house husband" (you can imagine how uncomfortable I was with this).

I then hosted our first Christmas and my mom said I did a good job :) We had a lot of fun and enjoyed seeing my brother again. Then for New Years and Kent's birthday, Kent got sick and we went to bed at 8 :) That is the 2nd New Year I spent with Kent WITHOUT getting a kiss!

Then it was our 1st Valentine's day as Mr. and Mrs...but we spent the day packing as we were headed to El Paso the very next day. We drove through an awful storm complete with snow from Tucson all the way to Texas! But, it was worth it. We spent 2 fun filled days with Chad and Natalie and Sakura and Happy.

We also bought our 1st on-line business, www.bapeclothing.net which has been one of our smarter decisions.

Then the weeds came...boy oh boy did they come! For every weed we pulled and sprayed, 3 popped up! It was ridiculous. Obviously the people before us hadn't heard of pre-emergent. With the weeds I also developed the most awful allergies. Hives everywhere! I have taken at least 2 Benedryl every day since March! I guess I am a freak :)

Kent and I were then ready for our 1st vacation as husband and wife. We decided on Vegas. We should have known it was a BIG MISTAKE when we got into our room which had 2 double beds! Haha! Kent called down and said, "We had requested a King size bed," to which the desk attendant replied, "that was a request," and hung up the phone! The toilet ran all night long, we had no hot water, and a double bed! My rash came back like clock work and the hotel gladly let us out of our reservation :) We then spent the night at the Stratosphere which as a little better. That night however, we looked at each other and said, "no one is forcing us to be here!" We played a little disc golf in the morning and then raced back to Arizona! Ahhh...home!

That was when the fun began. Kent and I got sick AGAIN. I had 2 sinus infections back-to-back and Kent had Pneumonia! A few weeks later we were sick AGAIN. Neither of us got sick very often and then Bam- 2008 hits!

The 4th of July was then upon us and Amy, Kent's sister, was visiting as she was gearing up to move out here. We went tubing on the Salt River in the morning and then a good group of friends came over for Ribs, games, and fireworks.

We also bought our 2nd on-line business, www.starmarkelectronics.com which was not as smart as the 1st business. At this point we have chalked it up to being a good learning experience and are still working on it.

A few weeks later Kent and I decided it was time I leave the UOP. We had an amazing experience as we decided this and I know we made the right choice.

Kent then began his Broker classes and I ran the Management company. The days have definitely been long during this process, but HOPEFULLY everything will be in place in 6 weeks...6 weeks?! I know...not the plan we were going for as there have been some hiccups. I am so proud of what Kent has accomplished though and I know we will get to his dream soon.

Last night we had our 1st Halloween as well. I have to admit, I got a little flutter of excitement as our first trick or treater came to the door. I was in charge of the candy as Kent is avoiding a process server with 2 speeding tickets. I do not know Kent Burton and I have never seen him in my life...good thing I still have my Killmeier license in case they ask for an ID :)

So now here we are at the 1 year mark. I am in charge of planning our 1st Anniversary. I just about had Kent convinced that we were going to Apache Junction (basically a trailor park), then somewhere HERE in Arizona, however I broke the news this past week...I am taking him to San Diego/La Jolla. It was the 1st trip we ever took together and I am sure we will have a blast this time as well.

Well, there you have it. I know it was long but I REALLY want to remember all of those little details as I'll never have them again.

So here we go with our last week of the "magical" 1st year. It was definitely a dose of reality for us (or maybe just me), but I wouldn't trade it in for anything!

Tag! You're it!

Tag! You're it!

Here are the rules: You answer the questions below and at the end of the post you tag 4 people. Then go to their blog and comment to them that they have been tagged.



What is your husband's name? Kent Attaya Burton

How long have you been married? 50 weeks and 1 day (I think)

How long did you date? 1 year on and then off and then on...you get the idea ;)

How old is he? 31

Who eats sweets? We're both more "savory" than sweet. However, I have seen him pack away 3 pieces of wedding cake. He can also polish off a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper in less than 1 day.

Who said "I Love You" first? Mmm...I remember something about using the word "trouble" in place of "love" and I think I told him, "I think I'm in trouble." BUT I never said "I love you" without him saying it 1st, while we were dating.

Who is taller? Kent

Who can sing best? Definitely Kent- that's how he proposed.

Who is smarter? Kent's more book smart and I'm more street smart.

Who does the laundry? Kent tried to do it for about 9 months, but he didn't do it right. To quote Cassie, "You don't have any 'lay flat to dry' clothes to you Kent?"

Who pays the bills? Kent. We have a gazillion of them and I'd rather not touch any of 'em!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Kent is on the right side on everything...bed, closet, sink, etc.

Who mows the lawn? Kent

Who cooks dinner? Me. If I didn't, we would have chicken fajitas, frozen pizza, repeat.

Who drives? Kent. He terrifies me, but I'm too traditional to drive.

Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Kent. I've never been wrong ;)

Who kissed who first? He kissed me. He held me down on the ground accused me of being shy (yeah right!).

Who asked who out first? I invited him over to watch a movie, but he couldn't come, so he invited me to lunch for later in the week.

Who wears the pants? He wears them...I pick them out.

Who's funnier? We both crack each other up.

What was your first big fight? Not that I'm keeping tabs, but I'll gladly remind him about my grandmother's lamp and the dumpster ;)

What makes your hubby cranky? Noise, other people, heat...basically everything that does not fit with his plan at that moment.

How did you meet? I learned about Kent when my old roommate came home from, "the most awful date ever" and she said we would be perfect together. We met a few months later at a girls' "super bowl" potluck. He was the only guy and we all talked about Polygamy.

Busted up

I cannot believe we are already at the end of October! We certainly had our fun yesterday and are paying for it today.

Kent got back in the ring for the 1st time in 8 years yesterday morning. I wasn't planning on going until Kent mentioned that he may get creamed...I couldn't resist watching that! However, he actually did a really good job. I'm still impressed :) Things have been moving a little slower since then as just about every bone in his body hurts today. He plans on going back next week for some more.

We also got to see a lot of old friends last night. Our Bishopric from the last single's ward we were in had a reunion. It was good catching up with everyone. Kent had a nice ego-boost as a lovely young lady tried to snatch him up...but he is all mine!

I'm just about all set for our ward's chili cook off on Tuesday. I was trash talking all the ladies this morning, but soon found that I should actually be more concerned about their husbands. Today for dinner we are trying out a Black Bean and Pumpkin chili, but I think I'm going to stick with my last winner. More details to come on that...AFTER the competition :)

This week will also be our photo shoot to get all geared up for our PR launch. Kent and I had so much fun getting our engagement photos taken, so I think we'll really enjoy this just the same.

Well, I think that covers it. We'll keep you all posted!

Here we go!

This weekend was a time of celebration for us. Kent took AND PASSED the State and National Broker exam :) We celebrated over some dinner at our favorite restaraunt, Texas Roadhouse, and bummed around Barnes & Noble for a few hours. It feels so good to have that test out of the way. Now, he just needs to get cleared and we will be good to go. 

That was pretty much the sum of the week. I have no clue what this week holds in store for us, but hopefully it will be a great one!

Life is good!

Kent and I have truly enjoyed just about every moment of this past week. We met with a PR goddess, Christina Jordan, twice this week. She has some amazing ideas and is really putting Eleava on steroids. Kent and I have talked it over and decided that we will let her do the PR, but since I thoroughly enjoy creating company images, I will get to handle that part. I'm really excited to get back into Publisher as it has been a while!

Kent also took his school's broker exam and passed with a 93%. This coming Friday is the big state and national exam. Many people find the school test to be harder than the actual exam, so I am sure he will do great!

We've been talking so much over the past year about what we would like to do with our landscaping, or lack there of...This past week we looked at some Citrus trees and once again, planned to "talk it over" Well, my Honeymuffin tried to pull a fast one on me, and bought the trees! I was so surprised when I found the receipt. We now have a lemon, grapefruit, and tangelo tree in our backyard. We also "invested" in 6 rose bushes. On Friday we sat outside for a good hour wondering why we haven't done any of this sooner!

I also got to hang out with one of my most favorite little kids on Tuesday, "Sauce the Boss" (Sauce is his family nick-name, and he LOVES Bruce Springsteen- the Boss) as I affectionately like to call him. I nannied Scotty for about 2 years and while we only live about a mile away from each other, I don't see him very often. We had red beans and rice, he showed me some of his Karate forms, and we watched "Elf." It was also nice to have a little visit with Joan, a little too brief, but it was nice.

On Saturday we went to Tucson to celebrate my step-dad's birthday. We trekked over to El Mariachi, which ended up being a complete bust. Ken had called in the morning to make a reservation and upon our arrival we learned that the restaurant was closed for remodeling. However, the cook offered to come in and open up for the 6 of us...no thank you. We ended up eating at a little place close to their home, called Mosaic. It was absolutely delicious and we had so much fun visiting with everyone and playing with Chloe.

I hope this week is just as pleasant as the last. We hope everyone is doing well!

Baby, it's cool outside!

What a sigh of relief! We finally feel "fall" in the air. The weatherman had been toying with us all week, promising cooler weather by the weekend...today it was only in the 80s!

We celebrated the cooler weather by staying indoors all weekend. It was our church's semi-annual conference, so we have been parked on the couch for the last 2 days. We had a variety of good friends over and plenty of snacks to sustain us. We enjoyed the wonderful messages shared and are looking forward to making the changes we would like to make in our lives.

Kent will be taking an exam this week to continue forth with getting his Broker's License. I am sure he will do just great as he has flown through the practice exams with flying colors! Kent will also be giving his 7th Toastmaster's speech this week...maybe it's about time I do my Icebreaker! We will also be meeting with a Marketing/PR/Even Planner this week, to start gearing up for the official launch of Eleava...I know what you are thinking..."But Carly, isn't that what you have a degree in?" Yes, but I HATE Property Management, so I'll stick with the "supportive wife" role on this one. :)

In coordination with this crisp fall weather I've prepared a stew for dinner, which is needing my attention. We hope everyone has a wonderful week and we will catch up with you soon!

Easy Rider

Friday -
Carly and I went to the ballet. It was free. I like free. Plus, classical music is just kinda classy too. Wasn't digging the guys in light yellow tights though. Yuk.

Saturday -
Carly and I just hung out around the house for the most part. It was nice just to be able to breathe a breath of fresh air again -- we've both been a bit stressed with work the past 3 weeks or so. She attended woman's conference with Jeanette, and we ended up going on a bike ride through some beautiful neighborhoods later that evening with Jeanette and Bryan. We're hoping to check out a few of the nicer homes before my supra key expires next week (Realtors use to get into homes; I'm not renewing b/c we don't use it that often). Played a couple games of pool at Bryan's too.

Sunday -
We taught the 14 year olds Sunday school -- great kids - really looking forward to teaching them in this my new calling (Carly has volunteered to help out) :). She was called as the ward bulletin specicalist, which fits her just perfectly. I think she likes it.

We're also having Amy and perhaps one or two of her roommates over for dinner tonight - Carly's making a roasted chicken, with potatoes, roles, and seasoned brown-sugar carrots. She's the best cook - I'll put money on her on our upcoming ward Chile Cookoff.

A little pre-thanksgiving...

Kent and I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Bishop's Storehouse today. We often discuss doing more service in our community, but have yet to really do anything about it. As family after family came in, we were their "escorts," guiding them through the store and helping them gather their foods and needed supplies.

It definitely touched my heart as I saw children and families walk through, but there was one family that particularly touched me. I could tell that they were very uncomfortable being there and not quite sure how to take it all in. I thought maybe I would talk with them a little bit, just so they felt a little more at ease. I learned that they had only been married just as short a time as Kent and me.

Their situation really, really made me realize how much I have to be grateful for. I honestly don't know how I would handle it- just starting out and not being able to make ends meet. Kent and I have really been trying to take the right steps with "emergency preparedness" and saving and budgeting, etc. I know that the Lord has definitely blessed us, and helped us along the way.

We've have also just learned that Kent's cousin Tiffany's 1 year old son unexpectedly passed away today. We want their family to know that our hearts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.

Family, Fun, and Puffs!

Well Kent and I had a great weekend as we went home to visit the family. We spent the day giggling with Chloe, rooting on the Packers, and destroying our loved ones at Ghetto Golf.

Chloe is just growing up so quickly. She is no longer a newborn and we have so much fun with her. Her favorite activities at the moment are babbling and bouncing, and of course being everyone's center of attention. Shawn and Chad and surely blessed to have such a beautiful baby girl.

I have the BEST mom in the world. She gave me a "Pancake Puff" skillet. I can not only make cream puffs, but I can make crab puffs, and cheese puffs, and any other kind of puff you could ask for. I look forward to having everyone over, so that I practice my perfect puffs :)

For the 1st time in my life I actually beat my brother at something! Kent and I destroyed Eddie and Kristen at Ghetto Golf. It was the happiest 5 minutes of my life, before my parents reminded Kent and I that we will always be in 2nd place :( Good thing Thanksgiving is around the corner and we can have the "Ghetto Golf Gobbler" and redeem our title.

Sadly, the time came when Kent and I had to leave. My brother is headed back to Georgia later this week and then he'll be off to Iraq for the 3rd time. It is always nice to see him, and I am grateful that we had the time to spend with him before he leaves. It was hard to say bye, but I know we will see him again soon.

Now we're back to starting another week and just itching for the next weekend to be here again!

Oh no...

Well, here I am. I have definitely become one of THOSE wives...I am now spening my evenings updating and playing around with my blog. It has been quite entertaining though. I have gotten to get a little creative and I have enjoyed looking at family and friends' postings as well.

Kent and I are really excited to start recording our lives and staying in better touch with everyone.

We have been busy here in the Burton household. Kent has his Broker classes just about everyday from 9-6. While he's there, I'm here doing my least favorite activity, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. I have just about driven the company into the ground and I suspect he'll fire me any day now. My plan is working just as I expected- ha ha ha! We do hope to have the Eleava brokerage up and running here in a few weeks though.

This has also been a monumental week as www.bapeclothing.net and www.starmarkelectronics.com are up and running. Finally! There has been a lot of blood and tears shed over the past few months, so it is nice to see the sales coming in :)

Kent and I are looking forward to going home this weekend to spend some time with my parents and my brother Eddie, who will be deploying AGAIN to Iraq in the next few weeks.

Well, I think I have spent enough time on here today and should be getting back to my wifely duties...tomorrow is grocery shopping day after all!