Spring Valley - Saturday Stroll

Yesterday I was really feeling the need to get out of town. So we took a break and went to Spring Valley. Spring Valley is definitely one of my favorite places around here.

Friday night some of our friends showed us some pretty intense pictures from bear attacks. So as we started our 1-2 mile walk around the lake, i started freaking out. Come to find out, they were just dog tracks. Brandon made fun of me quite a bit.

Gross huh? This look like a deer carcas...

I like to call this the valley of death. We had no idea that we would run into an ice covered trail about half way into our stroll!! I swear we almost died about 20 times. Here is a part of the trail where it was just sheer ice and then a drop right into the ice covered lake. Crazy huh?

More of the trail..

Geese on the ice...

And this is the main reason I love this place, even during the winter. I think it is BEAUTIFUL!

Time Off? - Not Happening Anytime Soon

I know this may sound rediculous (and very whiny) but I am going crazy!! As an employee at the University of Idaho, I get a certain amount of leave (time that I can take off). It is very minimal. I accrue just under 1 day of leave each month. So right now I have saved up 2 days of leave for the whole summer. That's right, I don't get spring break off, I only get two official holiday days off during Christmas and just one day usually for Thanksgiving, etc. So any other time I want to take off has to be saved up. There is absolutely no way around it. But the people I work with have been working here a long time and have oodles of leave. So for instance this spring break (in two weeks), who gets to work the whole week while everyone heads out of town? Me. So while my husband is out of school during the summer, spring break, etc. I am working. That means no trips, no nothing but work. That is the ONLY complaint I have about my job is the leave. I feel so restricted and since Brandon and I don't have any kids, all I want to do is go on fun trips and get away while we can when Brandon is not in school!!! But instead I am saving every last bit of leave I have for family things (reunions, etc.) and I still probably won't have enough. What a joke!

Happy Birthday Mom!

For my mom's birthday this year I decided that I wanted to take her to get a pedicure. So we went on Saturday and it was so much fun (and my feet are all cleaned up-that is the best feeling)! I do not get pedicures very often- only on special occasions but I really love them and I love the place in Walla Walla that I usually go to. Two chinese people run it (I think they are married) and they do such an amazing job. So it was really fun to take my mom. Thanks mom for all you do. I love you!

Fun Project

I helped my mom with a fun project this last weekend. She had gotten new frames for all of my siblings' pictures. So we switched out the frames and do a new arrangment. I LOVE it!

Freezer Jam

Saturday we were in Walla Walla and one of the many things we did was make raspberry and raspberry cherry freezer jam. It was so yummy!!! I can't believe we forgot to grab some out of the freezer when we left!

The Sweetest Thing

A few weeks ago I got home from work to find a box at my door. Inside was a beautiful bouqet of roses and a small box of chocolates. My grandpa had heard that I wasn't feeling well and sent me these beautiful roses. It seriously melted my heart and will go down in my book as one of the sweetest things!

Jazz Festival Date Night

Last week I told Brandon that one of things I miss about undergraduate school was all of the fun things that we used to go and do. We used to go to plays, concerts, etc. all the time! I think it mostly was because in Rexburg it was so darn cheap and something was always going on. However, since we have been in Moscow and Brandon has been attending law school, we find ourselves both so busy and it is rare that we find time during the week to get away and do something. So last week we went to the Jazz Festival one night. I get free tickets through my work and since they are like $34 a piece, we thought the concert had to be at least somewhat good. It was fun and I am glad we were able to get out.

Some Fun Crafts

Here are a few fun crafts I have finally finished. Seems like I am always making new things but I forget to post about them.

Valentine's Day Dinner

So our friends Tessa and Darren made us an AMAZING dinner on Valentine's Day. It was seriously one of the best meals I had eaten in a very long time. I am so sad that there are white spots on this picture (not sure why)!!

Here are their kids (BFFs) Brax and Chloe. They are so dang cute! Thanks guys for such a fun afternoon!