Moving Out Conference Weekend

Josh & I had up till April 8th to be moved out of our apartment, and due to conflicts with Josh's work schedule and church appointments we had to move out over Conference Weekend. 

Josh was thankfully able to find help for the 2 days he had set aside for moving the furniture.  Our storage unit had to be cleared out by March 31st, so Josh's Young Men President helped him move my desk, hutch, and Josh's old dresser.  Poor Brother Thompson and Josh, they were dying with that desk.  And it didn't even fit through our door, so it is sitting in our shed for the time being.  

And the other day a co-worker AND ME! helped moved the rest of the furniture Thursday Night.  We Slept on the floor Thursday & Friday Night at the apartment as you can see below in the pictures.  It wasn't too bad bc we had Josh's Mattress Pad that he used on his Air Mattress, and we would have used the air mattress but I already had moved that too :( 

And between the 2 of us we own easily 20 pillows, tons of blankets, so it worked. 

This was my set-up for watching conferences.  Some pillows we saved to cushion between heavier things that might scratch paint/wood/etc..   Josh had the extra pillow for his legs, I was against the wall with the coconut M&M's and my laptop. :) 

This is a small blurb for my cooking, on pinterest Million Dollar Spaghetti, so yummy!  We used our jalapeno sausage instead of ground hamburger but other than that stayed with the recipe.  So unhealthy, but so tasty.  And I cannot make this for a while bc our Mobile Home Oven doesn't get warmer than the "warm" setting.  We had a brunch on Conference Sunday and I wanted to bring some hash-browns, I had them in the oven almost 30 minutes at 350 and Nothing...  The glass pan was still frozen from the hash-browns.  So Josh investigated, bc it does light & everything but no difference between "warm" to 550 - which is its hottest temp.  

BUT we are MOVED! And that is exciting :) We both own a ton of stuff, but I am grateful we're out of the one bedroom apartment and half our stuff in the storage unit we rented.  Once we start making more progress I'll most some more pictures.  My new job is a blessing, but the hours are less desirable.  My first "official" week next week I am working 25 hours but in 6 days!  I literally go in for 3 hours one day.  Josh was even annoyed, but I told him I'd see how much the schedule fluctuated in 2-3 weeks.  I really only want to be there part-time so I can keep searching for other jobs and keep tackling the mobile home so the 25 hours is great, just not 6 days a week.  So we'll see.  Josh & I are very blessed.  New home, my new part-time job.  Things are coming together. 

My Birthday!!!

My Birthday Surprise from Josh, I woke up Friday Morning and saw this waiting in the kitchen.  So sweet :) The Flowers even match the card, and now we even have flowers to plant at the mobile home. 

Josh and I met up during his Lunch hour for some sweet BBQ!  They gave me a free slice of carrot cake, and thankfully didn't sing to me.  Josh is always impressive to eat with when there is a buffet or an unlimited salad bar, he definitely gets his moneys worth.   

Sorry we're squinting, but it was BRIGHT!  Cloudy but bright.  

After Lunch I got to chat with Friends & Family that called, super made my day to talk to Kylene and hear her kids wish me a Happy Birthday, Grandpa Sumner called, my mom, Kayla called.  And I got lots of texts and Facebook comments.  Also, I got my hair trimmed, it was long over-due, I got it trimmed October and it was pretty damaged, we took off an inch and a half.  

That night Josh was the only leader in-town for the Young Men to chaperon the Stake Youth Dance, Josh was sorry but it was okay, for my birthday we spend 3 1/2 hours at the church watching 20-30 youths dance.  Well not so much dance as cluster together.  The DJ taught us how to Waltz, and Box-Step, Josh & I tried to learn, he was really good, me not so good.  I think I try to lead too and it just doesn't work well. 

Josh is having a CRAZY busy weekend.  Today, his wife's birthday, Fishing Clinic, All-Staff Meeting, Family Fun Day (we were late to the dance bc of this event), and the Youth Dance which didn't get over till 10:30 p.m. 

Saturday, today, Josh has his FIRST Trip with TAMUCC!!!  A caving trip up by San Antonio!  It was crazy, that youth dance wore us out!  We woke up SO tired, but Josh had to get going bc of his trip.  He should get home 10 p.m.-ish tonight.  Tomorrow we have Stake Conference 9 a.m., a baptism at 2 p.m. where I am giving a talk on the holy ghost & I would LOVE for Josh to go, and later Josh is in-charge of the Youth Fireside that evening.  I am working on an outline for him, bc he only found out Tuesday nothing was prepared and the man in-charge will be out of town.  

It is nice though to be busy, I took a new load to the mobile home to move things out of the apartment, did 4 loads of laundry there, and tried organizing boxes so they were at least in the right room.  I got to skype with Sarah & Maya which was so nice.  And now trying to find material for Josh.  Busy, Busy, Busy :) 

Remodeling Begins...

Thursday Night, March 20th Josh & I started our remodeling projects.  

The cupboards in the kitchen had a bit of the paint scratched off so we wanted to start there.  I was in-charge of taping and Josh was going to Paint but we found it was hard to coordinate that at the same time so we both taped and then I cleaned the wood and Josh would follow behind and paint.  Some will look better than others bc some of the wood is chipped, it is particle board and Josh said there isn't much we can about that.  But with fresh paint we hope it will look better.  

Josh bought his new drill, as featured, and he very excited to start more projects so he can use it.  As it turns out taking the drawers off was not easier to paint.

It is kind of a disaster right now, but after we get our second coat on we will clean up and I can start moving things in :) 

After the kitchen we want to fix up the bathrooms, they are super outdated and just plain ugly.  Even Josh, who doesn't really care about appearances, agrees that they look pretty bad.  I have been on Pinterest finding color schemes I like, but I also gravitate toward gray & purple. 

Mobile Home

Josh & I finally took some quick shots of the mobile home to submit to the insurance company bc we never could find a manufacturer year posted on this unit.  

This is the first and smallest bedroom below, it faces the road and will make an amazing little storage room, we have a shed as well but we agreed that there are some things we'd just like inside with us.   I didn't like any of the pictures of the bathroom next to this room, and so far that bathroom will need the most work, so maybe I'll post a before picture once we have an after picture :)

I didn't post a pic of the living room, mostly it is just rectangle section that will fit our couch and entertainment center easily.  And below is our kitchen, no pantry but I think there will be enough cabinets.  It seems similar size to the one we have now.  

BUT now we have a nice little dining area, I don't have a picture but Josh & I picked up a table we saw on Craigslist for Free!!  It is 5 feet by 3 feet and has a nice little design on top, it is already in here and it will work nicely :)  Still working on finding chairs for the table and a coffee table for the living room.  

This is on the other side of our dining area, a washer & dryer, Josh has already put up a rod so we can close this off when not doing laundry. And I am not 100% sure what we are going to do with this area, Josh wants to put my desk flush against the wall and so that will limit what we do with those cupboards, but we'll see. And you can see our new vacuum!  It works really well, Josh doesn't love all the features but I think it meets our needs right now.  

This is blurry but it is the main bedroom and it is about the same size as our now 11 feet by 13 feet, it will fit all my bedroom furniture.  It will take some coordination but it will fit.  Josh & I are really happy all the bedrooms have ceiling fans and light fixtures.  The only room we'll have to put lamps in is the living room, but everywhere else is super well lit.  

Main bedroom but we have a little linen closet which Josh still isn't sure what the means but I promised I will make good use of that storage closet.  

And this is another feature I am happy about, a closet that is easily 4 times the size as the one in our apartment.  This is going to be SO awesome.  Josh needs to fix the light fixture in there but other than that is seems in good shape.  

Our carport and storage shed.  

I wish this picture showed the front of the home but I think you get the idea.  Nothing glamorous but it will be such an upgrade from the little one bedroom we're in now.  

We had wanted to have most of the moving done when Josh had Thursday & Friday off last week for Spring Break, but due to un-forseen circumstances Josh threw out his back Tuesday night and so we needed to have him rest his back with that time off.  We were able to get some things done Saturday, shampoo'd the carpets - yucky dirty & get the table.   This morning I put our notice in at the storage unit and did one load in my car, I will try & get all the things I can carry when Josh has to work so when Josh does have time we'll just need to do heavy things I cannot do by myself.  

Downtown Corpus Christi, TX

This past weekend Josh & I were cleaning the chapel when a new convert was talking to us about weekend plans.  Since Josh's trip was canceled we didn't have any plans and the guy we were talking to needed a ride to a bus station in downtown Corpus for a trip to visit his son.  We were very happy to take him down and it worked out well because we did a little sight-seeing while we were down there.  

The homes along Ocean Drive are massive, I grew up new Las Sendas which is a pretty nice neighborhood, these houses are even bigger, more customized, and are situated right on the ocean - Beautiful views.  

There is a big naval base here in Corpus, and we never could figure out how to get to the naval carrier, but I think we got an okay picture out on the docks.  The carrier does have tours so we'll look into it and plan another trip down there.  

Close-up picture, it is a bummer you can't tell how big it is, but it was HUGE in the water.  

We left the dock and headed to the museums, they were already closed but there was a beautiful water garden outside, a giant circle, amphi-theatre like with steps but water just rushing down all the way around, very beautiful. 

There was a wedding party on the other side of the circle so we were trying to stay out of their way.  

Also, Corpus Christi is always just super windy, and being by the water makes it cold and windy.  I couldn't always look at the camera head on because my hair kept flying in my face.  Josh is still trying to convince me to not chop it off, and it seems to be working.  

I was so excited we stumbled upon Whataburger Field, this is where Corpus AA Minor League Team the Hooks play.  Once the season starts up Josh promised we'd come back for a game or two!!

It started to sprinkle so we decided to head home.  But I am glad we got out here, it was fun seeing the big city with all the tall buildings and tourist spots.  

Josh and I learning to Fry Food

I am so happy March is here!!  

March 1st Josh & I woke up early to help clean the church, and I totally forgot to tell Josh I signed us up, but he was very happy to help.  And he then went on to volunteer us for the rest of March.

My dad's birthday was this week and talking to my sister I realize he would prefer it not being a big deal, so in honor of this I sent his birthday card late and left a voicemail wishes him a happy birthday, did not bother to try and reach him this weekend.  

ALSO Josh & I got accepted for a mobile home, Josh had tried before we got married to secure one but they kept slipping out of his hands.  So this time Josh wasn't messing around, and we both prayed and fasted for guidance and inspiration for this home and so crazy how well it has worked out.  Hopefully Josh will even get to sign today, but we are still not trying to get our hopes up too much, there is still a lot that could pop up so we're trying to be patient.  And I have an interview in a couple of hours on the phone with Wells Fargo Recruiting for Teller, not an exciting job, I think it is even part-time but I will be grateful to have something. 

Now here are some pics of Josh helping me with dinner.   I wanted to try and incorporate side dishes, so I was going to fry zucchini after I breaded them but Josh was worried I'd burn myself so for these we opted to just bake them.   

They were actually super tasty, Josh even like them and he is no fan of zucchini.

This last week I have had a hankering for Chinese food so Saturday we went to Panda Express and got Josh a meal, and a side of Panda's Green Bean Chicken for me, and then we went to Hunan Express and got a side of Dumplings.  SOO GOOD!!!  I loved it, but it made me want to learn how to do it.  So I tried to make those Cream Cheese Rangoon's that Panda Express has.   The filling was easy, but wrapping those sucked, so time consuming, and Josh said he'd do the frying.  He got all bundled up in a hoodie, and you can't tell but he wore sunglasses to protect his eyes.  

The first 3 he did burned but he had a fair few left to practice with.  

And here they are done, Josh did an amazing job.  

BUT they weren't very yummy tasting, the recipe I used called for 2 green onions minced but it was just too strong.  Josh & I both agreed these have the potential to be SO good, so next time I am going to try a few minced jalapenos and a very little bit of green onion for the flavor.  I still have a ton of Won Ton Wrappers so I think this week I'll make the filling and wrap them, then freeze them.  

Other news, Josh was a little disappointed his Spring Break trip didn't generate enough participants that it had to be canceled.  Good news, his caving trip should be good to go later this month so I am hoping that works out for him.  

Elder Banks before he left :)

I was looking in my picture library this morning & found this folder for Elder Banks, and I don't believe I posted this event!!  These are the pictures from Brian's or Elder Banks now farewell Sunday which thankfully I was in-town for :)

I believe this is the picture on the plaque at the church, I could be wrong, but I believe so. 

Mom hosted a farewell Party for Brian that evening with desserts and treats.  I was in-charge of cupcakes, everyone said they were just too pretty to eat, I was flattered :)

This is my last meal with Brian before he left, and this picture makes me laugh, not just bc how silly we look but bc my corn is cut off the cob, my Grandpa Banks used to do that for me bc my front teeth were either loose or gone when he visited so he would cut my corn :)  This time my mom cut my corn bc I just had my wisdom teeth out and I could not open my jaw enough to bite it.  Good memories... Anyway it was fun to see these pics, I was actually visiting Josh in Birmingham, AL when Brian left but I was glad I was home for his farewell & a dinner.  

Us hugging, we actually already said our good-byes when Mom said NO wait I want this on camera, so we had to re-enact it for her.   So I think these look silly, but I think Mom was pleased.   And whoa it is fun to see that Brian has beefed up on his mission, bc here he looks SOOO skinny.  When we skyped with him on Christmas I could see in his face he has filled out.  

A shout-out to my brother Elder Banks, he is going on one year beginning of April, very happy for him.  

What a Week

Josh & I have been adapting really well into married life.  We hit our 2 month anniversary last Friday, and so we celebrated by watching Psych and eating popcorn.  

It was crazy, this week Josh woke up with hiccups, couldn't get rid of them for almost 2 hours, poor guy.  From like 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. he just hiccuped, we tried everything I've ever heard of, finally once they stopped he said his chest was just exhausted and it hurt, and he still wasn't able to sleep.  

And last night for me I woke about 1 a.m. with a pain in my chest, similar to Acid Reflux which I've had before but I couldn't find an Ant-Acid so I just focused on my breathing but my chest just hurt like someone was angry in there and I couldn't lie down anymore.  Went to the couch and sat down hoping gravity would force it down or something.  Finally after 2 hours of un-comfortableness I just prayed that I would feel relief soon and in less than 10 minutes I threw up.  It was horrible and I haven't thrown up in probably 10 years but it definitely relieved the pain in my chest.  Poor Josh, I woke him up but he was sweet and stayed right there with me holding my hair while I threw up.  

I am procrastinating getting up today, kind of worried to rattle my stomach, I am pretty sure it was just unhappy, and that I don't have the flu bc I have no other symptoms.  It was crazy how much my throat and ears hurt, my goodness. My throat burned like 3 hours later and my ears had a mean pressure or something it was not pleasant. 

BUT in good news Josh & I on Saturday watched Saving Mr. Banks, which was really very interesting and I thought an excellent movie.  Don't know that I'd watch it again, but it was very insightful to the making of Mary Poppins.  Which Josh & I then watched Sunday after Church and Josh's meetings.  So that was very fun.  

Islander Lacrosse Game

Josh & I went to an inter-mural Islander Lacrosse game this past Saturday, and it was really fun, neither of us knows much about Lacrosse so we just kind of had to pretend we knew what was happening.  Josh is their faculty adviser, he technically doesn't have to go to games or anything but we thought it would be fun to see some of players he has met play.   I was dressed too warm for the weather bc even though it was windy, the sun was very warm, so a long sleeved black shirt and jeans had me dying.  

We didn't get very awesome action shots, my camera wasn't quick enough, and honestly there were not very many "action" moments, only a few body checks the whole game, but it was interesting to watch. 

We were sitting by a bunch of young college girls who were sitting on the bleachers taking "selfies" so Josh thought we'd be cool too.  But we were glad they had supporters, right now they are using a pretty un-awesome field, so Josh is hoping next year they can start playing on the soccer field which is a nice field.  

One fan got ejected from the game, he wasn't sitting near us, all we could hear was the Ref hollering you're out, you with the red hat, black jacket, you're out, Teams it is your responsibility to keep fans in check.  It was pretty awesome, this middle-aged man started walking back to the cars, we think he was one of the player's dad, and was using in-appropriate language loud enough for the ref to hear.  Still pretty awesome :)

The college crowd, some how we were sitting right next to them, I told Josh next time we come we need to choose where we sit more carefully bc they don't pay attention to the game, and their friends would come and stand right by the edge so the blocked a bit of the game from us.  But our team won, so that was very exciting, Josh & I both decided we'd brush up on our Lacrosse knowledge bc calls didn't make sense and we weren't sure of the different positions for players.  

All in all a wonderful afternoon out with my husband, nice sunshine, cool breeze, and something new to learn about.  

Cooking

I have been cooking a bit since my job search has been so far unsuccessful.  Here are just few of my dinner menus. 

A favorite in our home, bacon wrapped jalapenos that are stuffed with cream cheese - my mom sent us down with bacon, ground beef and a some steaks and it has been delicious. 

My first pinterest attempt with my own home-made Mexican pizzas.  The one on the left is Josh's which is just a few diced green onions and tomatoes, mine on the right was YUMMY!  I topped mine with the diced green onion and tomatoes but added diced olives and slice avocados.  It was really good, the seasoning in the meat was super delicious too, kind of a taco seasoning packet but honestly was better.  The only thing is they don't make great left overs, so I think while it is just Josh & me I'll just do one pie and split it down the side for the toppings. 

The chicken crescents, again staple dinner meal for Josh but this night I decided to add a healthy vegetable as a side, hence the picture, to remind myself to do it more often.  Josh & I are pretty good with fruits and other food portions but not so great on our vegetables.  Josh ate the broccoli just steamed, I added a little cheese to mine.  

This new meal I have mixed feelings about, it was a TON of steps and I'll admit it was tasty, it was just too rich to want to eat more than once.  The chicken is marinaded in a citrus-y liquid 6 hours, the chicken then slow cooks, you shred it up, mix up in an a white sauce, add crumbled bacon, add your bow tie noodles, and it makes a LARGE portion.  I am thankful Josh was good to take it for lunch almost 3 days in a row bc I could not eat more than 2 separate helpings of it.  Way too rich.  

I didn't get a picture but I have successfully made Fettuccine Alfredo twice now, once with chicken, and the second without.  Josh LOVES it, his 2 favorite ingredients are cheese and butter and that is basically all it is, in addition to cream.  But I am excited bc it isn't even than hard to make, just mince some garlic, cook with the butter, add some cream cheese and heavy whipping cream, grate some Parmesan cheese and add at the end.  Super easy and Josh just Loves it.  

I still haven't gotten into baking, and now that the weather is getting warmer do not know how much I'll pursue it, but we shall see.  But it has been nice to be excited about something, even if it is cooking.