I'm a little bit pathetic.

So Matt left at 4:00 this morning to go to his pharmacy rotation in Scottsbluff, NE and I already miss him! :( He'll be gone for 4 weeks but will hopefully be able to come home every weekend. The longest we've been apart at a time so far had been 3 nights so even though I'll see him on the weekends, it will still be lonely! At the same time I'm excited for him and I hope he's having fun and learning a lot. He really seemed to enjoy his first rotation here at Express Pharmacy.

On a happier note, this past week has been a lot of fun. Matt's brother Lane arrived back home from his mission in Samara, Russia last Wednesday. It was a lot of fun to see him again and to hear him talk about his mission. I know it was really hard for him but I can tell that he has learned a lot and has really grown up. So because of that we have been spending more time than usual with Matt's family. Thursday night we had a steak dinner and then watched Gwen and Randy, my mom and dad in law (that sounds a little funny... ha ha) play soccer. On Friday Matt and his 3 older younger brothers (did that make sense?) went fishing and between the 4 of them they caught exactly 100 fish! Then on Saturday some more family came and we spent lots of the day at Vedauwoo and then stayed up late and talked and played around that night. On Sunday Lane spoke in church and it was SUCH a good talk. Matt, Kyle, and Nathan sang and Randy was called to be the 2nd counselor in the bishopric. Then we had dinner and talked with family some more. It was just a lot of fun to see everyone and to just relax with family.

I thought it would be fun to post the picture from 2 years ago when Kyle got back just before Lane left and then the picture from just last week when Lane got back. It's fun to see how people have changed, or not changed as the case may be. :)

The whole fam at the Laramie airport as Kyle arrived home in June 2007

All of us again at the same airport 2 years later to welcome Lane in July 2009.

I was talking with my cousin in-law in-law, Megan (she's married to Matt's cousin) the other day about how we are SO lucky and blessed to have such great in laws. I love my in laws so much and all of the extended family, too. There are a lot of cousins and aunts and uncles in Matt's family and it's a lot of fun. It's so great to be around so many people who can have intelligent (sometimes too intelligent...ha ha) conversations and who are all so spiritual and close to the Lord. Even though I'm bummed that Matt is gone, I have been feeling really blessed lately!

Little Things

The past little while I've been noticing a lot of silly little things in life that I enjoy. It helps me to think of these things so that I don't dwell on the negative too much. :) Here is a shortened list of the little things I appreciate.

*Watching the prairie dogs roam around in the fields outside our apartment

*My husband waking me up at 7am so that I can see the fox outside our window

*Eating frozen kool-aid (yes mom, I STILL do that and am doing so right now) :)

*Watching Matt spend hours enthralled in front of a map of Wyoming

*Listening to my newly returned missionary brother in law Lane talk about his mission in Russia (and his belly-button lint...)

*Having a shadow following my every footstep (in the form of my in laws dog Link) while I paint the house

*Link whining and frantically scratching at the screen door trying to get to me every morning as I walk across the lawn to go to work

*Being adored by said dog (Link). :)

*Looking through old pictures

*Hiding Matt's wallet and/or phone so that when he asks where they are I can tease him about always losing his things

*Playing old songs on the piano that I learned YEARS ago

*Learning new songs on the piano

*Sight singing random sheet music and all four voice parts to various hymns using solfege syllables (yes I am a nerd but it's fun and I like to practice!)

*My music calling in the primary and listening to the children sing my favorite primary songs. I get choked up almost every week. :)

*Taking walks and hiking/climbing with Matt

*The mountains

*Being outside

*Music

*Just being with our amazing families (I have SUCH a great family and SUCH great in laws!!!)

*Gummy worms

*And lastly, these two pictures (speaking of looking through old picrues...) The first one is a candid shot from when we took our engagements almost THREE years ago. I know I am biased, but every time I look at this one I think "man he is SO cute!" :) The next one my sister April sent to me of her youngest boy Ashton on his blessing day. I can NEVER look at it without cracking up. :)

That's not all, but I won't bore you with a longer list. :)