Graduation from BYU!

Hi.
Hey.
Hello.
How are you?
I'm pretty great myself. It has been a crazy two months. Like life changing, goal reaching crazzzzzy.
GUYS. I graduated. Like one of the two MAJOR goals in my life has been accomplished. the second one is to be a mommy. BUT the first one has gotten a big fat check next to it.
It actually feels pretty surreal. I'm not sure how to feel about it. Technically I was done in December but I took one more class that actually didn't affect me graduating at all but actually walking at graduation and going through the motions and not having any class at all really has made me realize that I AM DONE! obviously I am not done done. My education will continue for the rest of my life but that good old bachelors of mine is DONE! hallllllleeeeelujjjjjah. It feels great. But now what do I do???
I feel like I should be getting a big girl job and know everything I need to know. But I am not really planning on that right now, unless I find one in Rexburg, and I definitely don't know everything. I actually feel like I don't know enough to graduated. When everyone started graduating I saw this picture floating around.

I am so glad that I am not the only one that feels this way!
Graduation was wonderful though. The weekend before graduation Andrew and I's friend, Sydnee got married to Parker. We had been hanging out with them for the past few months and the weeks leading up to their wedding we were always over at the Turnbull's house helping with wedding stuff. I had SO MUCH FUN helping! It was a blast getting crafty and really seeing all of Sydnee's amazing ideas come together. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was perfection! We are so happy for them and could not be more excited that Sydnee found such an amazing guy. Parker is the sweetest guy and a lot of fun to hang out with. We just couldn't be more excited for them.
The Sorensen's were in town for the wedding so the morning after the reception we loaded up the moving van (we were already exhausted from the reception but we pulled through) and headed to Rexburg. That night we also unloaded! It was an exhausting weekend to say the least but I am glad we got it done so quickly and efficiently!

Andrew started school that Monday so we stayed until Thursday morning and then headed back down to Provo for graduation! My mom was in Rexburg to drop Emily off at BYU-I so we just drove down with her, Lisa and Aaron and then our dads flew in and met us at the Turnbulls.

Thursday was just Commencement and Friday was the Convocation.  On Thursday everyone that was graduating just walked into the Marriott Center and we listened to the speaker. I loved when they had everyone stand up and then they said Congratulations you have all graduated. and they pretty much conferred us as graduates. It was the moment of AH I did it! this is SO cool! Afterwords we went to Jdawgs because I needed food asap and who doesn't like a good hot dog slathered in special sauce! Then we went to the BYU volleyball game!

On Friday the ladies woke up and went to this awesome fabric store and scored some sweet stuff and then I had to RUN to graduation. haha I was about 25 minutes late. Luckily I had to be there an hour earlier so me being late wasn't that big of a deal, I just didn't have to wait around as long as everyone else did. But I sure was nervous.

All 2014 Graduates, Friends and Family. Crazy! 

When we all walked into the Marriott Center it was so cool to see all of the graduates friends and family standing and cheering us on. They had helped us come so far. On both days I had my phone with me and was texting Andrew about where they were so I was able to find them pretty quickly.

Right before walking into the Marriott Center, Selfie.

I was nervous but also really excited to walk across the stage! When they called my name I just felt all giddy and excited that it was actually happening. I went and shook the hand of two guys I didn't know and was handed the envelope my degree would go in. I HAD DONE IT! I did do it! It was amazing. I heard my family screaming for me. Andrew especially. Then as I walked off the stage I found my mom amongst the people on the side lines taking a picture of their graduate as they walk off the stage. I loved seeing her. She was such a big help in me achieving this goal. Both my parents were.

Right after I walked off the stage!

After I got my degree this is where I sat and listened 

Right after I sat down from walking across the stage, selfie

Waiting on the other graduates to get their degree was pretty boring. I was ready to go see my family. When we walked out to leave I just cut over to my family and stayed with them. Andrew got me a BYU sock monkey!! Ever since I worked at the bookstore I told him I wanted a sock monkey for our future monkey. Then when I was graduating I jokingly told him I wanted it for graduation. So when I walked up to him he gave it to me! I thought it was so funny he remembered but so sweet. And he got me a lei. what a sweetie.

I kinda love this picture. haha he was putting the lei on me. 

My BYU Monkey! 

I love this cutie! 

After taking pictures and maneuvering the crowd we headed to our favorite little run down Mexican place, Beto's. YUMMMMY. This is one of those places we are really going to miss not having. So good. and so cheap. and there was no crowd or wait. Which was really good cause I was starving again after eating only a few cheerios that morning. What was I thinking?! Then we headed to the bookstore for some shopping and then on to more food at Waffle Love. OH SO GOOD. seriously. If I wasn't so full I would have stuffed my face. They have the greatest dessert waffles around.

Selfies on the way to the car! 

It was a marvelous weekend. I loved having my parents in town and Andrew's parents. I felt so much love and support. It was hard to say goodbye and see everyone leave and then head back to Idaho.

Oh hey I GRADUATED! 

He is so good looking. 

The best parents ever! 

My biggest supporters. 

Now that we are here we are getting into the swing of things again. I have been organizing, making swimming suits, relaxing, and looking for a job. Andrew has been going to school and working hard. I actually just got a part time job at the Down East in Idaho Falls. I am really excited because I have always wanted to work there. It is not as many hours as I want but there is potential for more and I can still try and find a second job. So if you know of any send them my way, please and thank you!

And that is us. Exciting things happening. It is slowing down now. Just starting the job for me, school for Andrew, and trying to get over a dang cold that has me wanting to sleep all the time.

Hope you all have a great week.
love, alex&andrew

Beginning of the End

This week I went to my last first day of school. It was bitter sweet. But I was thinking, 'Let's be honest, this won't be me last day of taking classes, just my last first day of my bachelors degree.'

It was my last first day from all of those first days, from kindergarten until now. This is what it all leads up to, a college education. Yes I could go on to get a masters or whatever else I want but this is what I have dreamed of for years.

I made a promise to myself that I would finish my bachelors degree. And even though some days I would ask myself 'why am I even doing this?' I know that it will be one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I think about being done with school and it scares me. I don't know what to do without school. I do not know what life is without school. School has always been there, so when it ends and something new begins, it is going to be a scary and an exciting transition.

At this point I don't know what I will do after graduation but I am really excited about it and I can't wait to see what it brings.

This is going to be a great but hard semester. I'm taking two family classes and those are what will make this semester difficult. They are going to make me think and grow and become such a better person but the amount of work I need to put into them is going to be challenging. Then I am taking an art history class for my minor in visual arts and that is going to be even more difficult. The memorizing and studying is what gets me scared. The class is interesting and I am excited to learn about it all but I am not excited for the tests!

Then I am auditing a pattern making class. I already took a pattern making class at BYUI but I wanted to learn more and we never learned draping at BYUI whereas here we will work on it for three weeks.

My last class is a tailoring class. At first I was just going to audit that one too but I found a way that I can make it a 3 credit class instead of a 2 credit class so that I can use it to graduate in December and not have to take another class.

It is going to be a great semester full of learning and growing and I am really excited about it. I hope it isn't going to be as crazy as I expect it to be and I can balance all of the reading and studying with the creating and sewing.

wish me luck!
love,alex

A Graduate & An Eagle!

You guys. Life has been busy. the awesome kind. and it is just getting started. It's just going to get better this week. I have been wanting to blog but I did something silly.. or at least maybe one day it will be silly. I may or may not have washed my camera SD card. or it is sitting on the floor in st.george just waiting for someone to find it. I am hoping for the latter because it has some pictures of an awesome weekend.

I guess I can just post some of the few photos I took on my phone. This is probably why I tend to always take pictures with my phone these days. It takes a lot more for me to loose that thing.

We went to California at the beginning of the month. It was a wonderful getaway. Can I just tell you how amazing the weather there is? I was actually cold at times! These days I am lucky to not be sweating.

We went to California for Aaron's High School graduation and Eagle Court of Honor. It was so fun to spend time with family and really celebrate the accomplishments that Aaron has made. We were running all over the place all weekend.

Guys, I made that dress!

We got there Thursday afternoon and were headed to Aaron's graduation shortly after. It was the first graduation I had ever attended! I never attended my own because I graduated early and was at BYU-Idaho already. It actually wasn't as long as I thought it would be but I think sitting with the right people and having lots of snacks really helped ;)

Graduation was outside. how AWESOME is that?!

Friday we spent the day getting ready for Kiana's bridal shower, picking up Aaron at a volleyball tournament, picking up Anna at the airport, and getting a lot of Tito's Tacos. It was a busy day full of good people and funny conversations in the car.

Lisa & the bride to be! 

Saturday was Kiana's bridal shower. This was a great day celebrating this beautiful bride to be. As she was opening her presents, I saw a ton of things I need to go buy...ha. The party turned out b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. Laurie and Lisa did an amazing job. It was a tea party theme with gorgeous flowers and delicious food. I would love to have parties like that all of the time, but man did I realize how much work that takes! It was wonderful to celebrate love and marriage with such wonderful people.

Sunday was church and Aaron's Eagle Court of Honor. I have only gone to one other court of honor so that was exciting to see how things were done and really celebrate the amazing accomplishment these boys have made. Andrew even got to give a little speech about what you go through to receive your eagle. It is amazing to me how much hard work these young men put in to receive this award. It really is such an important accomplishment. I feel that it really says something about a man, knowing that he worked that hard.

Growing up I was always so jealous of what the boys got to do and learn in boy scouts. I really wanted to have those experiences and learn all that they were learning. Yes I had girls camp, which I actually only went to twice, but really, that is SO different. I cannot wait to have boys of my own so that I can help them through the scouting program and really get a chance to experience it with them.

I love polaroids, just like this one. 

Like I said, buuuusy weekend. But it was fun. bundles of fun. I love little trips like that. You leave wanting more because you aren't sick of it yet. Although I don't know if I could ever get sick of it. There is a lot of that coming up this month. I can't wait for it all to begin but at the same time I know that it is just going to FLY by and I will be left wondering where all of the time went and wishing to have it back.

I can't wait to enjoy every moment and just let it all sink in and hit that happy spot right on top of the head.

how is your summer going???
I hope it is as great as ours.
love,alex&andrew