Update on Bronx

So, I know that many of you have publicly told me that it is pathetic that I blog about my dog , to which I agree, I'm pathetic! Considering that this is the only form of journaling that I do, I have to keep it somewhat updated to his growth and the funny little things he does, cuz I do kinda like him! So, feel free to pass by this post, it won't hurt my feelings. Actually, I won't even know, so go ahead. For those of you who do care, he is getting so big! He is only 3 1/2 months and his paws are as big as a full size dog! I know he is going to be huge! No more cuddling on mom and dad when you hit over 50 lbs. bud!




Anyway, one quick story and then I will just update with a few pics. I have a body ball that I have had for years. My mother-in-law got it for me about the time we moved into our house. Bronx found it the other day and started playing. Needless to say it is a little flat, just perfect for him to get his teeth around. He started just nipping at it at first so I didn't think anything of it, then all of a sudden Rusty hears this noise. Sure enough he punctured right through it! After that he didn't want anything to do with it. That is just one of many things he has destroyed. We came home to find Rusty's good pair of church shoes totally trashed. We are usually pretty good about either keeping him outside or making sure nothing is on the ground that we don't want him around or chewing on. I guess Rusty didn't pay attention and sure enough Bronx drug them outside! But, no matter what, even with all of the chewing and nasty smells, I still love him! Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure!

This is his favorite position to be in while I am on the computer....it's called IN THE WAY!!!





"Fine, if mom is going to be mean and yell at me all day, I'm going to sleep by dad's clothes and pray he comes home soon to save me from the mean lady!"




Chloe and Cooper are Cam and Ash's dogs and we love them! Being around them with their dogs was a big influence on us to get one. Ashley and I try to get them together for regular "play dates" (all of you Mom's out there quit rolling your eyes!), but I live so far out here that sometimes it's hard. These were taken one day at Ash and Cameron's while we were playing guitar hero. Look at how cute they are together! What's even more funny is that he is so much smaller, but his paws are the same size as theirs are!







These are blurry but funny. If you look close in the first one, he is dead asleep and his little tongue is just hanging out! In the next two, he is sleeping with his paws covering his eyes. Just too cute to look at!




This one is just to show his size, I took one like this when he got home. Just for reference.

Have you seen my ball?

Rusty has liked playing golf since high school but hadn't played very much until the last 6 months or so. He and Cameron went together one day and it has been an obsession ever since. I actually really like that he does it. It gives him the time he needs to stay saine during his busy weeks. On this particular Saturday, Rusty got up and helped me do our Saturday chores, then came in and invited me to go with him while he golfed. I drove the cart while he played, and it was so much fun! I love my husband for a lot of reasons, and one of them is that at anytime, (even when he has pissed me off) he can make me laugh! We rode around all day and just had fun. I laughed at him a lot because he would get frustrated (" Honey, I am sure we will find your ball somewhere?!?!?!"), and he laughed at me when I called it Tittliss instead of Titleist. We also encountered a few really "funny" individuals while we were out there. One guy was walking around selling his own personal stuff that was loaded in what must have been his kids Radio Flyer wagon. Ok, first of all, I'm playing golf with my husband! Second, no I don't want your used jewlery! They came and kicked him off the course so he came to us to complain.I don't know if he really thought we could do something for him or just needed someone to listen but we sat there until we couldn't take it anymore. In a way I felt bad for him, but really...on a golf course! We were playing at the course at Magic Ranch and most of the houses in that subdivision back the course. As we drove up to the green at a particular hole, we noticed a cute little boy playing with a shovel as his dad was putting in what looked like some concrete work. We started half laughing and half "AWWW"ing at the little boy. When the dad looked up, Rusty and I started laughing so hard because it was Matt Finch, a guy we went to high school with! I find out every day how small of a world we live in, especially when you come from the White Mountains. Anyway we played the course twice, since it is only a 9 hole course, and we had so much fun! I have played twice now, and i actually wouldn't mind learning. I just don't think that Rusty has the patience to sit and wait while I hit 4 over on a Par 3. Thank you hunny for being the most improved golfer I know, and the funniest person I could ever be around!

Oh, and I included this on my blog simply to help others understand what it truly means when he gets frustrated! Sorry for those who may be offended!

Be my Valentine!

So, for Valentine's Rusty and I are not usually crazy. We usually do dinner at home or something like that but nothing huge. I think we do a pretty good job of showing eachother how we feel all of the other 364 days of the year, but I have been wanting to get Rusty a new wakeboard for some time. His old one got a little beat up in a boating accident (We love you Dad!). Devon had e-mailed Rusty about this wakeboard for like $69.00 on ebay. This board usually runs like $349.00. When he told me about it, I knew he wasn't going to get it for himself so I decided to make Valentine's a little more special. I called Devon and had him make sure that this was a legit deal, which it was. The board has only been in the water twice, so it is in super condition. And why not get it for a rediculously cheap price? So, I won the bid, and ended up paying something like $79 for a great wakeboard!! This just happened to be around the time the huge tornado went through the southern states, so it didn't get here until the Monday after but it was worth it! I don't have a picture with him by it but here it is! And the great thing is, we can ride in a month or so so he won't have to wait to long to use it!


(Don't mind the huge dents you see in our wall, it was just a little accident! Men are great to have around a house huh?) But, thankfully that wasn't all that we did for Valentine's! It is a tradition of my In-laws to purchase Suns tickets for all of the couples in the family for Christmas. We all really love going and I think it is such a cool way to get the family together (my mother-in-law is always thinking of good ways to get us together!), so we spent Valentines night at the Suns game. We went to dinner first at Famous Dave's, which was awesome! Great bar-b-que and a really good Salmon! Then we headed over to U.S Airways center for the game. Unfortunatley, I forgot my camera in the car and since I had bronchitis and Rusty had pneumonia, neither one of us wanted to walk back in the cold and get it. When we sat down, Becky told us that the big board had said, "The Suns welcome the Wilkins Family!". None of us believed her, but sure enough a little while later our name popped up on the screen! It was pretty cool! The people around us thought we were crazy when during a timeout or something stupid we would start cheering, but that's ok! Janet sat next to some kids from a high school team that was there and she let them take her camera and get pictures of themselves with the Suns girls. They thought they were so awesome! I put a stop to it when Rusty stood up to go with them!!! Just kidding...... but I think he wanted to!! Anyway, we got home really late but it was worth it! Hanging out with the Wilkins family is always an adventure. Thanks Dennis and Janet for the awesome memories you let us have! We love you! Oh, and I love you too, Rusty! You are my BEST Valentine EVER!

My dream!

So before all of the fun on Sunday night at the Urgent Care, Rusty and I had a pretty great weekend! Saturday afternoon we met up with our friends Devon and Nicole to go to the boat show that was in Phoenix at the Convention Center. Talk about awesome! As we were walking in, we were in a group with four other people. There was two couples and the father had just purchased an amazing $90,000.00 boat. They were so excited and happy! I don't know if I would ever spend that much on a boat, but to have a boat like that would be really nice. Rusty and I love to wakeboard. I started going with him and Devon after Rusty and I became really good friends. We went a lot with them while we were dating and engaged. It has just been one of those things that we both really enjoy doing. It is one of the best vacations we ever take. Even if it is only the afternoon on the lake. So, we walked around for a few hours and watched some rail jam competitions. It is amazing what those pros can do on a wakeboard! Dev and Nicole got to meet Shawn Murray (Rusty and I just stood back) who I do have to say is pretty cute! Really short though!!! Thank goodness it won't be too long until it's time to ride again! I really got the itch when I was sitting there watching them ride. Even though I suck at it, it is still so much fun!

"I think I have the black lung Pop!?!?!"

Ok, if you were to listen to Rusty talk right now, it would sound like he just smoked about 10 packs right in a row! He has been fighting this for a week now, and Sunday night, finally I won the argument and made him go to the urgent care that I work for. After checking him for strep, doing a breathing treatment, drawing blood, and a chest x-ray, they decided that he has pneumonia! It was so funny watching him with the breathing treatment! The Albuterol makes most people really jittery ,so after, he was so tired but looked like they had given him some speed! When he was eating the nuggets I got him from McDoanlds, his hand just shook so bad trying to get it from the box to his mouth! I think he would have rather skipped the treatment and just taken the inhaler they gave him. Then after we left, we went and spent an hour waiting for the perscriptions to be done. By the time we got home it was after 10:00 pm. Needless to say, neither one of us is feeling great today! So, for the next three days, he gets to stay home with me and help me with stuff I have to get done for my calling. I think I will set him on the couch and make him glue some stuff for invitiations for me. He is sooooo excited!! I do have to say that he has been a pretty good patient though! Today our brother-in-law Kyle will come by to give him a blessing, and I will feel so much better. We have to repeat all of the stuff in 5 days to make sure that the pneumonia is clearing, but I think he should be fine. Rusty tried to argue with the Doctor about going back to work sooner, but it didn't work! The doctor told him if he doesn't rest as much as possible in the next two days, he will end up admitting him to the hospital for IV treatment. I think that scarred him enough that he might actually listen. So if you haven't heard from us and you wonder what we are up to....we are just sitting at home starring at eachother! I will post pics later of him. Right now I have to go tend to the patient!

'All is well! All is well!'

So, last night Rusty and I met with the rest of the stake at the stake center for our first official Trek fireside with the youth. As we sang, and the speakers spoke about the trials and blessings of our pioneer heritage, the spirit was so strong! When we came to the close of the meeting, we sang "Come, Come Ye Saints." I noticed a man come to the pulpit to tell our Stake Presidency something. Everyone started crying. I did not find out until later that our Beloved Prophet, Gordon B Hinckley, had passed away. After the meeting I was talking with some of our young men and one of them mentioned, "Isn't it ironic that as the prophet passes, we are singing 'All is Well'? I have had the night to reflect on it and how fitting it was for many to find out as we are singing a song of great faith and sacrifice. What a testament not only to the saints who walked in miles of snow and sleet because they had faith in Christ, but also, what a perfect song to illustrate a life so well lived. I have a bit of a different reaction than many may have had. As I read articles this morning, I did get a bit teary eyed, but for the most part I can't help but be extremely excited for the blessing of eternal families. President Hinckley promoted faith in Christ, the importance of temple work, and that the family is the central unit of this gospel. I am so excited now that he has the chance to enjoy the blessing of what he has worked 97 years to have....an eternal family! I can't imagine the reunion that took place! I have tried to imagine how it was. The thought of him embracing his sweet wife after being apart. So sweet and exciting to think about! I received many phone calls after the fireside from my young women. As I talked with one, she just sat and cried on the phone. In fact, we didn't do much talking. I am grateful that they love their Prophet so much! I pray that they will have the faith necessary to follow his teachings.

I am grateful for the perfect organization of the church. I think of when Joseph Smith was killed. The saints waited in anticipation to know who their leader would be, but no matter what, the Lord provides for His people. I am grateful to know that the next prophet will be for this time, for a great purpose, and will be what the world needs at this time, just like President Hinckley was for the past 13 years. Thank you President Hinckley for the many years of faithful service, unending love, and the example of humor and humility that you showed! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!


Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
’Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell—
All is well! All is well!

Great movies!

So, Rusty and I had a really great weekend! We had so much fun doing nothing important and just hanging out with friends and family. Friday night we went to Cameron and Ashley's house to eat hamburgers and battle on guitar hero (the food was great, Ashley)! We decided to also see a movie so we went and watched "The Bucket List" and it was awesome! I think Rusty and I would rank it in the top 10 comedies and best feel good movies as well. It was just one of those movies you laugh out loud cuz it's so funny and cry in the next second. I definitely recommend it to anyone. Then on Saturday night, Rusty's brother Josh and his wife Amber called us to go to dinner and a movie. We went to Cheesecake Factory and it was great food as well! We have been a couple of times and haven't liked it but this time it was great! We then went and watched "The Great Debaters" and again, another great movie. While on our way home, we all started talking about what life must have been like when segregation was still legal. Amber mentioned that she hopes that she would have been friendly and kind even though not many were, and it got me thinking. I think of that time like I think of the time the Savior was on the earth. Would I have stood up to say something? Would I have believed the carpenters Son? Would I have had enough guts to stand up and say that segregation is wrong? I don't know I can't say, but I sure hope so! Anyways, just wanted to post and suggest to anyone to go see these movies. They are awesome! Also, thanks to our friends and families, we love you guys and feel really blessed to have you in our lives!

I know I'm crazy, one of those dog people!

So, this post is pretty much for my dad. He loves animals and always has and everytime I talk to my mom on the phone she tells me how much he wants to see and play with Bronx. The other pics I have up don't show his face very well so here you go Dad! I love the color of his eyes, they are the coolest green color!



This is the face I get everytime I tell him "NO" or "COME BRONX"!!

This George Strait song is for you Sammi Joy!

Tuesday I had the opportunity to spend some time with a long lost friend of mine. Sammi Joy and I were best friends in junior high. She is a cow-girl at heart and I went through this phase in J.H. that I thought I was as well! We spent everyday that summer on horses somewhere on the mountain. We thought it was so cool to be models so we used to have these photos shoots where we would get in our best "western wear" and take pictures all around her families ranch. Most of them, (we didn't notice until we got the pictures developed), my zipper was down. The pictures make me laugh so hard that I have to pull them out every once in a while!
I also remember one day we were riding down to the creek by her house with inter tubes around our bodies. As we got closer to the water, horse flys started swarming us! If you have never been bitten by one, they leave a welt and it hurts. So as we are both screaming and trying to get off the horses and into the water, Sammi trys to jump and her bathing suit gets caught on the fence post and she is just hanging there with an intertube around her waist. Even now as I'm writing it, I can't help but laugh out loud!
Well, Sammi Joy called me out of the blue and we met at her house then went to Applebee's for lunch. It was so much fun talking to her and catching up! We did a little dishing on days gone by as well. It's always been funny to me to talk to friends from high school since they had such different experiences than I did. After our Sophomore year, we were still friends but we didn't really hang out much. I'm glad to get to talk to her now and see her all grown up! Sammi is still sammi though, boots by her front door and diesel truck parked out front. She's awesome! We spent four hours at applebee's and then she took me to a desert place in Queen Creek that was awesome, the Apple Dumplin or something like that! Try it if you get a chance. Thanks Sammi for a great day! Love ya!

More Pictures of Bronx

So these are a few of my favorite pics of Bronx. He really does have the cuttest personality, which I love! This one was taken of him while we were still on the way home from Globe. He was laterally still sucking on his mom when we pulled him off and left. He had been eating a bit of regular food but not much. The breeder told us that until we get home and get him on a schedule, we should bottle feed him some whole milk. So, the good dad that Rusty is, he went into Walmart and got a bottle with milk. He is scarfing this milk so fast that you might be able to see the milk running down both sides of his mouth! It was so cute! I was driving when we took this picture so it's not that great but still cute!




So one of the things that I like most about him is that he loves to cuddle up when he sleeps. Even if my leg is hanging off the couch, he will lay down next to it. This night, Rusty had laid down to watch T.V. and mister man comes right up and makes himself comfortable! He loves to have his tummy scratched. At first he hated being on his back but I think he trusts us enough now and he will just roll over and sleep like that!





I don't think that a dog needs to be bathed a lot but after being with 10 other litter mates, our puppy didn't really smell great so he got his first bath! He actually did well at first but decided he was done after about 2 minutes. After he was just shaking like crazy! These next pics are from today, I was sorting laundry and he decided that he would cuddle up with one pile. He ended up in the basket for a nap so I had to catch some shots.

Introducing......BRONX!!!!!

Ok, so I didn't tell the whole truth in my last post. There is one more furry little reason that I haven't posted, done anything in my house, or spent any time with my hubby. On New Years Eve we drove from Eagar to Thatcher to pick up the best Christmas present ever....Bronx! He is an eight week old Boxer puppy that Rusty got me for Christmas. I had started to suspect that I was getting a puppy when, a couple of days before Christmas, we were cruising around Costco and the ONLY thing that he stopped to look at was a huge dog book. Rusty has wanted a boxer since arriving home from his mission in England where they are extremely common. When we got married, we moved into a little duplex in Mesa and decided that our backyard was not big enough for a dog. When we starting talking and looking around at different breads, I also fell in love with Boxers. They are called the class clown of the dog breeds which we love since we wanted one with a lot of energy! So, all of this has lead up to this amazing gift!


On Christmas morning, I was really wondering what was going on since he didn't get up in the middle of the night to check on anything, and it wasn't under the tree. I started to worry if I had pumped myself up for no reason. He showed me my fireplace and then had me open up my new phone. All of this was really great and I really was grateful but I still was hoping for the puppy. By this time I started telling myself that I wasn't going to get one so that when I opened up my last present, I wouldn't burst out in tears. As I grabbed the present he asked me if I knew what was in there. My only reply was "I thought I did, but looking at the size of the box and the fact that it's not moving, I hope it's not!" He just laughed and had me open it. Inside was a card. He said that it was important to read the card first. Inside, this is what it read:
"I'm sorry that I could not be here today. I am still to little, but I am excited to come home on January 4th! I am sure you will be the best mom in the world! Until then, I love you! From- Your new little pup! p.s I hope I am cute!"


At that point I started to cry!! He has been the greatest toy ever! He also included all of this stuff so that I would have something to open on Christmas morning. We were supposed to wait until the 4th to pick him up but the breeder had the dates wrong and he was older than he thought. When we found that out, we headed straight to Thatcher to get him. We saw his dad who is the biggest registered boxer in the state. He was so sweet and well trained. I started to wonder how big Bronx would be. Well, now I know he is going to be huge! He has huge paws and an even bigger personality! When we went to the house to get him, I saw him and knew that that would be the one I would have chosen. So, we do have a little addition to the family! So now when Rusty calls me from work and asks what I am doing, I just tell him I am on constant poop and pee control. This little guy is a lot of work! Trying to house train him isn't the easiest thing I have ever done! (I'm sure that moms are reading this and rolling their eyes, but still!) So, thank you Rusty for this amazing bundle of poop and pee!




These were taken in Globe on our way home from getting him. We stopped at Taco Bell to grab something to eat and we let him out to pee. It was pretty cold and so we had to wrap him up however we could. I wish I could have had a video camera to see him run for the first time! He for sure keeps us busy! I will post some funny pics later but for now just wanted to say, welcome to the Wilkins madhouse Bronx!

Reason for the Season

I know that I have been horrible at posting but I wanted to post about how our Christmas went. We had a GREAT Christmas! I can't think of a better one! I started early with the decorating and with the music playing in the house, which Rusty just loved!! I think that all of that started me in the spirit of the season but then something happened...I was asked to speak in church. I was asked to give a talk on what Christmas meant to me. For some that may seem like an easy topic, but for me, it wasn't. As I tried hard to prepare something that would bring in the spirit and help keep people's attention, I got a bit frustrated. I think (or hope), that everyone knows the reason for Christmas. I wanted to be able to help illustrate that Christ is in the little things that happen in the season. You don't have to sit and contemplate the Atonement for hours although I am not discouraging it in anyway! What happened to me out of that frustration was pretty awesome! I was able to spend time around family a lot that week and I started to see the things that Christ takes joy in. Our families sitting around the kitchen table laughing at each other, or at nothing at all! I watched my nieces and nephews in the excitement of Santa have so much joy singing Christmas songs. As I studied and prayed, I realized that I truly do have a Savior. It's not something I say because I hear others say it on Sundays. I realized that I am grateful for Christmas not because of His birth, but because of the sacrifice he made for me, and the blessings that come from it. I was able to sit back and find joy in giving gifts and surprising people. So, Christmas morning was just the topper to an already great holiday for me.

Since Rusty and I moved into our house, we made the decision to have Christmas morning at our house. We figured that it would be easier that way when we do have kids to already have the tradition established. Plus, we have so many nieces and nephews close that we still get to experience opening presents with family. Rusty woke up at 4:30 that morning so excited to give me my gifts (and to get his!). He waited to wake me up until 5:30. I showered really quick and we went to open gifts. He got me the fireplace that I wanted. His Christmas centered around all things golf. (Surprise, Surprise!) We were both extremely blessed this Christmas. We then got to take turns at his sister Becky's house, and my brother Mike And Chris and their families. Two days later we headed up the mountain to RV to see my family. It was such a fun weekend. It was super cold, but there was snow on the ground and you can't beat that! We played a lot of guitar hero at at my sisters, and suckered them into buying the UFC fight that was on! Great fight by the way! All in all, we have had a great holiday. Unlike past Christmases, I was ready to take down the decorations and get ready for 2008. I feel so grateful for everything we have been given! We have everything we need and a lot of stuff we probably don't need! We have great friends and family! We have the the knowlegde of our Savior and the blessing of eternal families. So, to all of that I say, Bring on the NEW YEAR!!

"I saw Ashley kissing Santa Claus!"

Very few times in my life can I remember having as much fun than in the past couple of weeks! Rusty and I have been able to spend a lot of time together and do such fun stuff that it has felt like we have just partied all month! Friday he had the day off so we went to the dentist (not part of the fun by the way!), and then Rusty went to golf and I went shopping with my friend Ashley. Ashley is just one of those friends that no matter what, we have a good time. I love talking with her and she has such a good attitude about life that you can't help but want to be around her. It helps too that we see most things the same way! Then we met back at their house for some one-on-one guitar hero, which I won! (WE BOTH SUCK AND WE WERE PLAYING ON EASY!) Then came time for our ward party.

We had gotten an e-mail on Thursday saying that the ward was in pretty bad need of a santa. I happened to be talking to Rusty on the phone when I read that e-mail and asked him if he wanted to. Needless to say, this is what happened!







I have never seen Rusty nervous to be up in public, but he was a little nervous to be Santa. We got him all dressed and they weren't ready for Santa to arrive. He was so hot in that suit that he was sweating and underneath all of that hair, you might be able to see how red his face was! They read "The night before christmas", and got all of the kids quiet and around the book. Then as he finished reading, in came Santa to pay the kids a visit! Rusty did so good! It was one of the best " HO HO HO's" I have ever heard! He spent a little time with the group, then went to the foyer and took pics with every kid and handed out candy canes! It was so cute, and I have never been so proud to be Mrs. Clause! I do have to give a shout out to RY-RY though Sonda! He gets the award for Santa's permanent helper! I think I have a bit of his head in every shot I took! We couldn't get Ryan away from Santa all night! He's so cute I don't think we would have minded taking him back to the North Pole with us!

Still, even after all that fun, the night wasn't over. Becky, Lea Heath, Melissa Udy, and myself went to tackle the midnight sale at Kohl's! It was a lot of fun to hang out with the girls and shop!


We decided it wouldn't be a true girls night without food so we hit up a village inn before heading home! What a great day! Now we just have to figure out what we are going to do with the Santa suit all weekend? HMMMMM......!

"Few are chosen"......and we were among the few!!

Rusty and I are so excited that we have the opportunity to be called as " Ma's and Pa's" for our stake's trek this coming summer!! Our names were submitted to the stake a while back, and we found out a couple of days ago that we have been called! We are so excited! They did have to tell us that if we end up becoming pregnant between now and then, they will replace us. That kinda stinks but I understand they don't want to be responsible for any births out in the woods! According to the doctor I don't think getting pregnant will be an issue, but we will wait and see. We both figure that the Lord will work it all out.

Both of us have callings in the Young Men/Young Women organizations so we figure that we will have so much fun. Even though the youth from our ward most likley won't be in our family, I still get to see them and watch them the whole time. I remember how hard our trek was for us in high school. Rusty and I went on the same one as well as many who read this did. I remember how tired I was, walking well into 1:00 am. I remember how the wheels sounded on the rocks that first night. We had treked for 18 miles and were told that we would walk until we had been "sufficiently humbled"! And we were! Or at least I was! They would let us stop for fives minutes or so at a time, and I remember just falling to the ground. I either had to be walking and moving, or I would fall on the ground and instantly fall asleep! I know it sounds like torture, but when I look back I know it is one of the reasons I stayed active in the church after high school.

One funny note, I was looking through the pictures I have of me on the trek and I found a picture of myself and one of Rusty's x's. We were in the same family and I didn't even remember her being there! There is one pic of her and I with our arms around eachother. I showed it to Rusty and he just laughed and handed it back to me saying "That's ironic!?!?" I think it's stinking funny! I was proud that even after walking for three days pushing a 1,000 lbs handcart, sleeping on rocks, and eating what they called "steak in a cup", next to her I still looked good!

Does anyone know how or have patterns to make trek clothing? I am thinking about making SOME of our own just as a project so that I can say I did it! Well, wish me luck! Now all Rusty and I have to do is get ourselves in shape or our family will be carrying us down the mountain! Bloomers and bonnets here I come!

Oh, how I love my Relief Society Pres!

So, I have counted myself lucky that I have not been "Taggged" cuz I don't think I am that interesting, but Becky got me! So here it goes!


What is his name: Rustin Wayne Wilkins
How long have you been married - 2 1/2 years
How long did you date? Ummm....ok 2 1/2 weeks. We "unofficially" dated as "friends" for 1 1/2 years. Once he makes a decision, it is made quickly!
How old is he? 25 going on 35. Everyone says he acts and looks older!
Who eats more? I like Becky's answer, depends on the kind of food.
Who said I love you first? He totally did. It scared me to say it. I knew as soon as I did he would put a ring on my finger!
Who is taller? Barefoot, Rusty is taller. With my huge shoes I kinda tower him. He hates them!
Who sings better? He actually does but he doesn't sing "for real" very often.
Who is smarter? Depends on what kind of smarts. Rusty is much more logical therefore more common sense. I can sit a read any kind of book. In my mind, he's the smart one.
Whose temper is worse? We are both pretty even. I did see him punch my dashboard once, that was kinda scary!
Who does the laundry? hehehe totally me!
Who does the dishes? He does dinner dishes if I cooked it. That's one thing we like to do together. Gives us time to talk.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does. If someone comes in to kill us, he's a lot meaner, so he can fight them!
Who pays the bills? Me
Who mows the lawn? We both do.
Who cooks dinner? Another one of those things that we like to do together although we don't agree on much.
Who drives when you are together? He feels like a little less of a man if he doesn't drive. I humor him!
Who is more stubborn? Me? Stubborn? NO!!
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Totally him. He hates to fight with me. I go along with the country song from Terry Clark "I just want to be mad for a while!"
Whos parents do you see the most? We grew up in the same town so it's pretty even.
Who proposed? Rusty, oh so sweeeettt!
Who has more friends? Neither, we hate people equally! Just kidding. Most of the friends we have are couples.
Who has more siblings? He does
Who wears the pants in the family? We talk a lot about issues when we need to but he knows when to through down as the patriarch! Did it just today!


I now tag: Jennie, Ambrosia, Ashley, Nicole

Black Friday

Ok, I know it's been a long time since posting anything! So, to bad for you guys who choose to read this cuz it is long! First off, I want to start by saying how much Rusty and I are loving this season. We have been married for over two years now, and we have always been really busy. Now, we have kind of slowed our life down, and we are finally enjoying the blessings of the holiday season! This is my favorite time of year. Christmas and the 4th of July are my two favorite holidays! My house gets decorated top-to-bottum, I start burning the christmas candles, and try my hardest not to bake to much! It's amazing what spirit the holidays can bring into your heart and home if you let it. Rusty and I are really getting into the spirit this year. Who know's maybe we will have a little one on the way next year and things will be different, but for now we are enjoying our "aloneness"!

The season for me starts at Thanksgiving. Especially down in the valley, it's still to hot to start the celebration at Halloween. So, I love that we always head up to RV for Thanksgiving. The bite in the air just makes the season official to me! We had one of the best weekends ever! As you can see from the pictres, my mother-in-law broke out the china. The kids sat all morning making each person a name tag! How SWEET! We cooked all morning with the intention of eating at noon! Since my potatoes weren't finished, it was all my fault we dind't eat until 12:30. Trust me, I heard about it all day long! The dinner was awesome and I got to read my books the rest of the day. Then comes the kicker!

My sister-in-law Becky's birthday is 11-23. BLACK FRIDAY! So, in honor of her being OLD, I went with my mother-in-law (Janet), Becky, and my sister (Alisha), to Show Low to tackle black friday. The sea of humanity trying to fit through what seemed like tiny little doors at walmart was amazing. We pulled up right as the doors opened and so Alisha, Becky, and myself, take of running. I can hear Becky yelling at Janet, "Mom, you get a cart and meet me inside!" We split up in two's. My sister and I take the toy section first along with everyone else! We are screaming over everyone's heads "Did you get such-and-such toy?" "No did you get the Barbie beetle?" We did that for almost 30 minutes, then finally made it out if the toy section. We got everything we needed! It was awesome. All of the toys I needed to get we found, I was so proud! We checked out and Alisha and I waited at Mcdonalds for Janet and Becky. When we finally met up, Janet told us "You guys should have seen it! Becky had her hands so full you couldn't see her face and she was kicking a stack of stuff down the isle with her!" Only Becky would do that! We spent 12 hours shopping and then headed home. Needless to say, I got a lot of my christmas taken care of and had a blast doing it! Girlie time is so important! I don't think we stopped laughing the whole way!

The rest of the weekend was relaxing and awesome! Rusty got his football in, and I got to spend time with MY kids! My sister and I are 6 years apart but are really close. We weren't that way when she was in high school but now, she is my best friend. Throughout all of my high school, my sister worked, so I watched her kids for her. They became part mine! I don't really care what she says, her oldest really should have been born to me! It was fun to see and spend time with them! I also got to see my Dad who had surgery this week! He's doing really good! Proud of him too! Two weeks without smoking is a HUGE deal when he has been since he was 15. I hope he finds the strength to keep going! Way to go DAD! All-in-all, it was a great weekend! Now I get to decorate!

What the........?

Just to be warned, it is 12:55 am exactley at the time I start this post. Forgive any punctuation and grammer mistakes due to lack of sleep! I really don't know what I am going to post about, but since sleep doesn't seem to come easy latley, why not? For some reason, the past month I have really been stuggling to sleep. I have never had this problem before so you can imagine how frustrating it is. I can fall asleep ok, but I usually wake up halfway through the night, my mind going and me not being able to stop it long enough to get tired again. I think if I could stand to run on concrete I could just go for a run every time this happens. I don't mind on the days I don't work because I usually can sleep in and it's not that big of a deal. When I work however, it makes for a really long day. So, here I am, awake as can be! Rusty and I have to be at our ward building at 6:30 am too! Oh well, it's Saturday so I guess I can take a nap. Some people probably don't know that Rusty and I have been trying to get pregnant for a year now. Due to some complications, that hasn't been able to happen yet. Whenever it does happen, I suppose if I keep these hours from now on, I will be ready for a newborn's hours!

I guess I should also pay my respects to a very sad herd of Elk that are going back to the mountain that they love a little sad tonight. My home town alma matter played for the Semi-finals of high school state football against the Coolidge Bears. Unfortunatley, they didn't go home with the big V, but watching them this year has been really fun for Rusty and I. There is something about a football game whether it's high school or college, that is just exciting. I remember Friday night games, in my cheer uniform (sexy!) and those cold nights. I'm sure some people who read this blog can remember some of the coldest nights playing white mountain football. One was a playoff game in Ganado, I thought my fingers were gone, another was the first round playoff game in Coolidge my senior year. I hit the ground during our half-time performance and the grass felt like tiny little knives in my knees. But still, with all of that, there is just something about wrapping up, getting some hot chocolate, and cheering your team on to victory! (or not!)

Rusty pretty much just loves football, and I have always liked watching it, but never really understood the formations or anything. Seeing as I was the cheerleader in high school, I knew what first and ten, a two point conversion, and a touchdown were! Now seing that most women don't really watch football, I thought I was doing ok on that amount of knowledge. Marrying Rusty, I have found that I really do like the game. I like to watch hits and tackles. I never really focused on them before. I always just looked where the players were grouped together the most and figured that the ball was in there somewhere! I can now start to read the pass and see what play is going to happen. Yes, I am pretty proud of myself! Needless to say, I am sad that football is coming to an end this year, but we still have the DEVILS to cheer on! Oh and have no worries, we are getting ready to purchase season tickets for the SUN DEVILS for next year! I am not sure if we will have boys (and I am really hoping for a few little Rusty's running around), but if we do, I have a feeling they may not have a choice but to play football!

MMMEEEOOOWW!

Well, these are a little late, but thought I should post them anyway. Rusty and I had a lot of fun on Halloween. I dressed up and he sort of did. He was supposed to be the Royal Air man from England but he didn't feel like carrying the bag around all night. For me, I put some make-up on and some ears and there I was, MMEEEOOOWW! We met at Becky and Kyles for dinner with their family, Josh and Amber and their kids, and Grandpa. We then went to the church building for our wards Trunk-or-Treat. It was fun to see all of my young women dressed up and having fun, and Rusty got to tease all of the kids he teaches in Primary every Sunday. As they drove up, my nephew Tucker asked his mom "Are we at the temple, mom? Are we trick or treating to Jesus?" Oh, my goodness Tucker, only you!! After all of that fun was over, Rusty and I left to meet up with some friends of ours. We have known Cameron and Ashley for about 2 years but about a year ago started to hang out with them. Since then they have become some of our closest friends. We love them cuz they are just ok being them. No need to impress, we just hang out, laugh at eachother most of the time, and come up with some really stupid stuff to do! Love you Cam and Ash!