Half- way to 50...

This whole week I honestly kept forgetting that my birthday was this weekend but Dallen pretty much kept reminding me everyday; "Hey guess what, guess what? You're gonna be half-way to 50 in 3 days, 2 days etc." He also kept telling me that ...."You're a quarter way dead." He really knows how to make a girl feel special ha ha! 

We started the day off by going to a Marriage Symposium that the church put on. And although we had to get up early (for us anyway) I thought it was really good. They fed us breakfast and lunch so that helped motivate us to get our butts out of bed. I was reminded of some things that I need to work on. 

After the symposium we came home and decided to take a nap which didn't turn out so well for me since our neighbors living room and I swear their TV is right above our bed, I kept hearing bombs or rockets going off. Dallen was out. I decided to move into the living room where its a lot more quiet but alas I could not fall asleep which made me really angry because I was super tired. So I just laid there for about an hour until Dallen woke up and came looking for me ha ha! He decided to give me my birthday present then. So he made me close my eyes while I listened as he set it out. A girl knows her chocolates and I heard peanut M&Ms but Dallen wouldn't let me look until he was done. After he set it out he decided he had to go to the bathroom before I could look. I was like serious? But he was fast and I restrained from peaking! He did indeed get M&MS and some other favorite chocolates of mine and candles! They smell so good!!! (We've kinda turned into candle people :)) Then he took me to walk through some of the cute little shops on main street. They had some pretty cool stuff. Then he took me to Dairy Queen to get my favorite shake! We then came home and started a movie until it was time for dinner. Danny and Sue bought everyone dinner and we all hung out at Carson and Lindsay's, ate, played with babies and played games! It was a good day! 

Its funny because when I was 17-19 years old I think I was pretty sure by the time I was 25  (which was sooo old) I would be married, have at least 2 kids and a house. At least I accomplished one of those goals! Here I am, 25, married for 3.5 months, house-less and childless. But I am happy and I love my life with Dallen! 

Our First Home :)

 So the other day I was just thinking how our apartment and being with Dallen finally feels like home and since it does I thought I'd give you a peak into our first home! 

Its comfortable! You know that feeling after you've been gone and you come home, open the door, drop your bags and sigh because "Ahh" you're home…? It finally has that. 

Living life with Dallen is comfortable. Sometimes hard. Stressful. Confusing. Sometimes there are tears  (usually mine... ha ha okay….kidding..they're always mine) but its ok because I have Dallen! 

In our apartment we laugh, play, cook, argue, clean, we talk, scare, tickle, read, on occasion we run, we shop,we work, we try, we love and that makes it home! 

But it wouldn't truly be home if it didn't have a few problems and since we've all heard "In our first home" stories Id like to share a few of our "first home stories" with you!

There was some miscommunication between management and they gave our apartment to someone else, so when Dallen tried to move in for the school year (we weren't quite married yet) he didn't have a place to live. Luckily they still had a place for us but it was in the basement and it wasn't ready yet. I think Dallen had to wait a few days to move in but even after that it wasn't cleaned and he didn't have any hot water. Poor guy. 

We took the light bulbs out of the spare room (by standing on Dallens back) to put in the living room because they were burnt out.

Sometimes the light in the bathroom would just randomly go off, which is really awesome when you're in the middle of a shower! (A nightlight would serve as our source of light for awhile.)

The cupboards in the bathroom don't close all the way so when you lean forward to rinse your mouth out it makes a lovely banging noise. 

You practically have to slam the handle in the shower to turn the water off.

When it started raining, snowing and melting we noticed that my side of the floor would get wet. I got tired and kneeling in a puddle so I called our manager for the 2nd time to tell him it was getting pretty bad. He thought someone had already fixed it and said he would send someone right down. Fearing it wouldn't happen I re-arranged our bedroom and the low and behold it got the fixed that day. ( I left the room the way it was) That little drain-extender or whatever its technical name is, (picture 2) is my new favorite thing. Sometimes our room still smells like wet carpet but its getting better! 

When you turn the oven on the back right burner also heats up. The front right burner works on occasion, although not lately. The two left burners both work. The stove is also uneven so if you are cooking with butter or oil it all runs to the back.

Our refrigerator makes a high pitched ringing sound.

The front door would always stay locked, it was stuck (until recently when it magically just popped out) and the only way to get in was with a key. I locked myself out twice.

We can hear our upstairs neighbors pee……

But despite all that we like it here and its been a great first home!!!

This is our living room, part of our kitchen and laundry room. (Behind the "Dalton" sign.) To the left you'll find everything else. :)

Weddings

Clint and Athena got married on Jan 2 in the Monticello temple! It was freezing!!!! But we had a good time and were glad to be there! I loved Athena's colors and I think her pictures are going to be gorgeous! Congrats Clint and Athena we love you!

Next was Ashlyn and Brandon's wedding in Draper, Jan 17th! It was also freezing but not as cold as the above mentioned. This was my first time being in the Draper temple and the sealing room was so beautiful. The mirrors were massive! I'm always amazed at how pretty temples are! 

Ashlyn looked perfect and so so pretty! It was so fun to have all four of us back together and for such a fun event! I swear we were all in High School yesterday! Friends are the best! 

I wanted a picture of Dallen and I at this temple but I forgot to have Hailey take one so I captured this beauty on our frigid walk back to the car! I know…its adorable right?!

Christmas Break!

 Christmas Break was SO much fun! We did not want to come back to reality, I admit I might have cried a bit. Leaving family is just no fun. Sometimes (but not really) I wish I had one of those families that we just couldn't stand so leaving and being far away was easier but I don't so I guess I'll just have to deal with it. :) 

This picture is from Christmas Eve and I admit we look pretty goofy but its ok! I think we all might have been a little tired. My family does the traditional matching PJ's and although Dallen thinks its weird I made him wear them all day!

We started out at my house waking up at the traditional time of 6:00, had just enough time to open presents and eat breakfast before running over to Dallens house to open more gifts! It was a lot of fun! 

Dallen and I had Carson and Lindsay's family this year and I decided to make the little ones PJ's although the pants were way too big I had fun making them and stitching the letters on their onsies. I failed at actually getting a picture of the 4 little cuties in them so you'll just have to use your imagination. 

 Although I don't have any pictures of the stuff we got Dallen and I were super blessed this year! We got a vacuum!!! I don't know that Ive ever been so happy to see a vacuum! Dallen got some tools he wanted! Clint found us a used washer and dryer for 30 bucks and by a miracle Tyler just happened  to bring his truck down to Moab so we had a way to get them back! Dallen was a peach and installed them the day after we got home and I've really been enjoying them, although they are extremely loud... or our apartment is just small and you can't watch TV and have to practically yell to be heard, I love them and I love being able to do laundry in my own home! We also got a really beautiful painting of the Savior holding a baby from my parents. Ive been wanting to put a picture of the Savior in our home so I was super happy that we got it! Lastly Morgan got a us griddle!!!! So now we can have french toast all at once instead of one by one!