Pages

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

random thoughts

I really would love some new clothes for fall, except I hate shopping.
I wish I could have someone shop for me.
I really want a gold watch. {I loveee my white one that mark bought me for christmas but it would be nice to have a gold one too so I could mix it up}
I'm really excited for fall. {summer in rexburg isn't living up to par with california summer so I'm over it}
I love watching the leaves change.
I love wearing sweaters and sweatshirts {even though I usually look frumpy, but its comfy}
I want it to be cold at night so I can snuggle in all my blankets in bed.
I really miss my lil snookie
did I mention i want some new fall clothes? :)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Mr. mom

I always dreamed of marrying a guy who liked to do the dishes, made our bed, did our laundry, went grocery shopping, made my lunch, pretty much a Mr. Mom...until I married one! Ok so Mark doesn't enjoy doing all of the above but he does them for me while I'm at work or when I'm feeling lazy when I get home from work. At first I really liked that he took care of all those things for me because I was really busy but lately its been making me feel...worthless? We got home from our vacation on Sunday night we unpacked {which is probably a first for me. usually my suitcase lays on the floor overflowing with clothes for a few days.} On Monday morning Mark made my lunch, dropped me off at work, went to walmart to get things like milk to hold us over until we go grocery shopping tonight, picked me up from work, had flipped our matric topper to get rid of the buldges, made dinner, ran the dishwasher...the list goes on and on.

Last night I felt so bad and guilty that he does so much. He kept reassuring me that it was ok because I'm really busy. I appreciate all he does for me, he's a great husband. I vow that when we move from Rexburg and Mark works full time I will make him a lunch every day until he retires. Is it weird that I'm actually a little excited to be a stay at home mom one day so I can clean, do the laundry and go to the grocery store?

Monday, August 29, 2011

there's no place like home

Driving into the gorgeous California Sierra Mountains
6 flags Magic Mountain {concurred some fears here}
Disneyland! <3
My favorite place in the world.

{these are just a few pictures I had on my phone, I'll upload more pictures from our trip later!}


California was AMAZING! I can't even describe how great it was to be back in gorgeous Danville/Pleasanton with our families and sunny weather. Everything about our trip was great. {ok maybe not the 14.5 hour drive back to Idaho yesterday}

It started with our road trip out to California Wednesday, the 17th at noon. I went to work in the morning to get everything ready and then Mark picked me up and we headed west. We decided that we were going to stay the night in Reno and drive the rest of the way in the morning. When we got to our hotel in Reno we hit up the slot machines! I'd never gambled before so I thought it would be fun to put a few dollars in and try my luck. Boy was I wrong. How do people sit there for hours and lose their money like that? after hitting the button a few times I was already bored! But let it be known that I won 88 cents! {then Mark told me I should stop since we were up and he took the money and wanted to play black jack and lost all $5.88. I was annoyed. but at least it was chump change and not our life savings, ok lets be honest that is chump change too!}
In the morning we got back in the car and finished the drive. We pulled up to my house at about 1:00 to find my baby sister Courtney and my sister Rachel waiting for us! {Courtney is always the most excited for us to come home. I call her my baby sister but she is now 12 years old. When I left for college she was just 8. She will always be my baby sis.} So we hung around my house and relaxed until my mom and dad got home from work. It is the best feeling to see your parents so excited to see you! Then Mark and I headed out to the DMV to get my new drivers license. I am no longer Barker. A year later and I am a Warren. I am so happy to get ride of my old license with my permit picture from when I was 15! But I'll be honest the new picture isn't a model shot that's for sure, but at least I look older than 13 and I don't have a choker necklace on...
Anyways, then we went back to my house and chilled with my family. It was great being all together, laughing at each other, talking about life and being happy.  I finally truly understand when Dorthy said "There's no place like home."

The next day was Mark's cousin's wedding so we spent the day with the Warren's. It was great to witness Michelle's beautiful sealing in the temple and be with all of Mark's family in the temple again. The day was full of lots of pictures, smiles and dancing little nieces. The reception fit their personalities to the t. It was very vintage with a big band and swing dancing. We had a great time.

The next morning we took family pictures at Mark's parents house with his three brothers, our three sisters-in-law and our 7 nieces and one nephew. It was a large task to get all the kids to sit and smile but I can't wait to see how they turned out!

Then we went back to Danville and went to lunch with my family. It was so much fun. When I was in high school we didn't get to do a lot together because our lives were so busy. We never really went to lunch for fun so it was great to get to do it now. I love being with my family and know it will be even more fun as my sisters get older. I sat and watched my family as we at Kinder's Ball Tip Sandwiches. It was fun to watch my mom and dad and my three sisters and Mark, talk and be so happy. I'm so lucky that my family gets along with my husband so much and than my husband loves my family.

On Sunday we went to my family's ward because my mom and Rachel were singing in Sacrament meeting. I love when my mom sings, she has a beautiful voice that commands attention from everyone in the room. They did a great job obviously :)
That night we got to go to San Francisco {my all time favorite city} to do a photo shoot. We did a "trash the dress/rock the dress session". I know, I know, it's a year after we got married but we didn't have time last summer to go to the city to do this shoot. Mark was a trooper! Best husband award. I mean most guys don't even want to take wedding pictures the first time around, let alone a second time a year later! It was sooo much fun and I can't wait to see all the pictures!

Then we headed over to Brentwood to Chris Murray's house! Me, Mark, Rachel and Chris decided to do a mini trip down to Southern California to go to 6flags Magic Mountain and Disneyland. Chris and Mark use to go to 6flags all the time, it is their favorite place. We went on Monday to 6flags, tuesday to disneyland and california adventure, and then back to 6flags on wednesday before we drove back home. It was crazy busy and so much walking, but soooo much fun! 6flags has some craaaazy roller costars and I can proudly say that we went on all of them! {yes i was very nervous in line for Goliath, the orange one that drops 250 feet at 90something miles an hour, but i closed my eyes on the way up and opened them on the drop and had so much fun!} and of course disneyland was amazing. I loveeee disneyland. This is the 3rd time Mark and I have gone together in the 4 years we have been together. This time we got to see the World of Color show. It was honestly one of the most amazing things I've ever seen! Everyone needs to see it. AMAZING.

Then we got back to the bay area and spent thursday by going to Panera bread for lunch with LuAnn {Mark's cute mom} and then went to the pool and tanned. This may have been the best part of the vacation for me. I love the pool!

On Friday both our families got together at my parent's house for a bbq and to go to a concert at Blackhawk Plaza. The food was great! Costco tri-tip + watermelon, best thing ever! The concert was really funny because it was a rock tribute band and all the Danville moms were wasted and dancing. it was hilarious. We all {ok maybe not Brad} had a great time watching everyone look like fools.

Saturday was a hard day for me because it was our last day in beautiful California. Mark and I ran to the pool and played in the refreshing water. Then we ran back to his house and went to lunch with his parents at one of Mark's favorite places, Amici's. I couldn't have asked for a better last day there. Then we went out to Discovery Bay to do a bbq with Mark's aunt and uncle and newlywed cousin who just got home from their honeymoon, and Mark's parents and his cutie grandma! We all jumped in the pool and had a great time playing.

This was the best trip home I could have asked for. It was really hard coming back to Idaho. The last night home I cried {I know, embarrassing, how old am I} but it's hard leaving your family and your home town. It's hard saying goodbye and knowing your going to miss another year watching your sisters start 7th grade and high school. I can't help but feel guilty missing out on so much of their lives. Don't get me wrong, I do love Rexburg. My life is changed because of the experiences I've had here and the people I have met. I have become the person I am because of this little town. I have built my testimony here. I built a relationship with a wonderful man that I get to spend eternity with. So much has happened over the past 4 years in Rexburg and I owe this little town and school so much. But I can't help but feel stagnant here right now. I graduated college and feel like I am just on pause waiting for Mark to graduate. But now that it is getting closer, I'm scared to death for what awaits us...finding Mark an internship, decided what I want to pursue for my career, buying a house? what city to live in? I have so many mixed emotions right now I am just a wreck. And leaving my family makes it that much harder.
As Mark and I drove into windy Rexburg with lightning storms all around us, we decided that we were going to make the most of our last year here. Do everything we haven't done, enjoy being in a quiet little town in a tiny little apartment. Go to the Blackfoot fair, look forward to the haunted houses and corn mazes in october, watch the leaves change color, play in the snow, and enjoy our amazing friends here.

Thank you to our family for the best vacation home and thank you Rexburg for the memories, bring it on winter!



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

hello love

See ya Rexburg. 

hello California.
hello family.
hello real malls/stores/fashion!
hello crowded freeways
hello yogurt shack {best/original frozen yogurt}
hello population
hello san francisco
hello beautiful danville 
{seriously, gorgeous city, especially in the spring with the green rolling hills and amazing  color display in the flowers and tree blossoms.}
hello good home cooking
hello wonderful restaurants
hello mt. diablo
hello southern california
hello disneyland
hello six flags
hello new drivers license {no more photo of 16 year old kelli barker!}

hello best 10 days of my life!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

stupid blister + dmv

After walking around Jackson on our anniversary, my new 5inch heals gave me huge blisters. Yesterday one of them got a little infected somehow and turned puffy and my whole foot was swollen, red, and hot! I could barely hobble around the office. When Mark picked me up he thought I was joking and called me a pirate. I was in so much pain though, I couldn't even wiggle my toes, weird huh?!
I decided that I need to go to the doctor because we are going home tomorrow and I didn't want to have a miserable trip. {I hate going to the doctor. I NEVER go because they tell you what you already know, yup you have a cough. yeah you have the flu, you're just going to have to wait it out...they do nothing for you except charge you money to sit in their office.} But I felt like i needed to go. so I went. I dropped Mark off at the gym to play basketball and headed over to community care. I walked up to the girl at the desk. She asked what I need to see a doctor for and I said, very embarrassed, "I have a blister on my foot that I think is infected." {I felt so dumb, is that even a reason to see a doctor? Am I being stupid?} But it was a good thing I went because the doctor said it was  little infected so he walked me into the exam room and made me sit on the bed. He put a big blue pad under my foot and made me roll up my pant leg. Then he rubbed iodine on it and pulled out some scissors! He said it was going to hurt a little...that was quite the understatement! He didn't numb it or anything, and mind you, the area around the blister was so sore that I could barely touch it! And to make it even worse, he didn't just cut the loose blister off, he cut off the skin around it too to make sure there was no infection left! I had to hold my breath, squish my face and clench my hands into fists. I let out a few "ohh, ouch's" but all in all I'm glad I went! I feel so much better today! I can walk almost pain free!

Well, tomorrow we are heading home to California! I can't wait to see my family and eat at all the amazing places like Amici's, Domenicos, Bagel street cafe, the Great Impasta, Luna Loca...the list could go on and on!  Also, I just made an appointment at the DMV to change my name on my license! finally. I figured I need to do it so I can renew my passport since my social security card is changed to Warren, everything needs to be the same. I will officially be Kelli Warren on Thursday at 4:00! {since the appointment is so late, I'm going to take my two little sisters Taylor and Courtney to the beautiful Walnut Creek outdoor mall with and probably to lunch. might as well make sister bonding out of the DMV trip! (usually I would be so annoyed to have to go spend hours at the DMV but I'm so excited to go home that nothing can ruin it for me)}
I'm goin, goin, back, back , to cali, cali!

Monday, August 15, 2011

1 year down, Eternity to go

This weekend Mark and I celebrated our first anniversary! It is so crazy to me to think that we have been married for a whole year. Our actual wedding seems forever ago but this year went by really fast {if that makes any sense}
Being that our anniversary was on Sunday, we decided to celebrate on Saturday. I couldn't sleep at all on Friday night, 1. because I was too excited for my 1st anniversary and 2. because I wasn't feeling well in the middle of the night {it was like heart burn, but below my heart, weird huh?!} 3. because Mark woke up every two hours to pee...who does that? only little kids! Then I woke up to Mark getting dressed and putting shoes on at 7:45. I kept asking him where he was going and to just sleep in because it was Saturday but he said he had a surprise for me and I had to stay in bed until he came and got me. I woke up about a half our later to some rustling in the living room and Mark laughing quietly every once in a while. Subconsciously I thought {hoped} he had gotten me a kitten! I tried to be patient but I kept dreaming {I was half awake} about a cute little kitten running into our room when Mark opened the door and it jumping on our bed and snuggling with me. Then I got really anxious so I called Mark's name. I kept asking him when I could come out. He said 5 more minutes....about 8 minutes later I warned him that I was coming out because I couldn't wait any longer. He finally let me come out and I saw the big surprise! Mark had made me a HUGE candy board, except it was a love candy board. It was really sweet {because it was candy...get it?! and because I have always wanted a candy board!} Mark is really good at making candy boards, he is so witty and funny. He had also gotten me amazing roses {they looked like fire!} and a sweet card. Although it was not a kitten, it was a great surprise to wake up to :)
Then I made us some waffles with nutella {and remembered that I don't like waffles unless I'm at dennys, IHOP, or Country waffles.}
Then I had a surprise for Mark! I am the WORST at keeping surprises from Mark, he always makes fun of me for it. I just get so excited and I want to tell him so I hint at it and he finally guesses it. But this time I tried extra hard to not have a single slip up. I didn't talk about or think about it all week. The other day Mark was trying to guess my surprise and somehow I got him to think that I was taking him to the madison gym to play on the trampolines and foam pit and rock wall...what a weird idea for an anniversary, I don't know why he thought that was all I was capable of {we did that for his birthday this year, it was a surprise also!} Anyways, we got in the car and I told him I had to get cash so we stopped at Wells Fargo, then made our way to my surprise. The Madison gym is pretty much on the same street as wells fargo, just about a couple miles down, so when I turned onto a different street and started going the other direction, Mark started getting annoyed. He kept saying things like "kelli don't go in circles and try to trick me. Don't waste gas. Come on Kelli just go the right way." I was dying inside. It was so funny! I played it off pretty good and he was so annoyed/confused. But I wasn't going in circles or trying to trick him, I was going straight to my surprise, which was Sage Day Spa! He had no idea even when we pulled in the parking lot! Then I parked right in front of the spa and he got it. We were getting couples massages. {i've had a gift card for a while that I got from the owners of 5buck. Mark has been asking me every week if he could use it, I pretended to be super selfish and mad every time he asked for it.} The massages were amazing and just what we needed. Mark loved it and it was all perfect! I was so proud of myself. Got ya Mark!
When we got home Mark had another trick up his sleeve. He had gotten a small box and wanted to make a time capsule of our first year of marriage! It was really fun going through the past year and finding ticket stubs or sentimental memories from our first year of marriage to put in the box. We decided that we are going to open it on our 25th anniversary, 2035! {if the world still exists by then...} Mark is so thoughtful and sweet and comes up with the best ideas. I love him.
Then we just hung out and relaxed until it was time to get ready for dinner. Mark wanted to surprise me with dinner, however, earlier in the week he let it slip that we were going to Jackson Hole for dinner! I love Jackson! We got all dressed up and fancy for dinner because Mark wanted to pretend that we were famous, because famous people visit Jackson, we saw Payton Manning there one year. Mark was really funny the whole night there. He kept saying things like he owned a sports team or asking me if I've talked to LC lately, what a dork! He led me to the restaurant and I was shocked. It was the nicest restaurant
We had a wonderful dinner, it was so good! If you are ever in Jackson and want a really nice {pricey} dinner, go to Snake River Grille!
It was a perfect anniversary. I loved it. I'm so lucky to be married to my goofy, fun loving husband. It's so surreal that we have been married for a whole year. It wasn't always easy, that's for sure. We've had our rough spots and late night fights. We get annoyed of each other. You don't have the same butterflies as you did when you were dating but you have so much more. I have my best friend to play uno with every night. To wake up next to every morning. To be my strength and anchor. To laugh with. To make fun of annoying neighbors with. To hold me when I cry over stupid nothings. To chase cats with. To long board with. To encourage me to work out. To compliment me on my cooking. To watch the office with. To spend eternity with.
They say the first year is the hardest. If that is true, we are going to have an amazing life! I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us. I can't wait to be crazy busy running our kids to sports practice and looking back on today, wishing we could go back to just the two of us in our tiny one room apartment, being bored to death on Sunday afternoons in Rexburg.
I love you Mark and there is no one I would rather spend my forever with. I love our yesterdays full of dating, trials and long distance, our todays in quiet Rexburg with our quiet life, and our tomorrows with traveling the world, babies, puppies and kittens & who knows what's in store!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

not all the way grown up yet

Recently I've been reading The Hunger Games {great books by the way, i definitely recommend them}, it is a little bit scary the way the portray government, and somewhat true. It is very extreme but it shows how powerful government can become and in return how corrupt.
Now, I'm not very political and can't pretend to be very knowledgeable, but I hear a lot from Mark {he knows his stuff} but I ran across this clip that I think says it perfectly. 
I'm still not sure how I feel about Mitt Romney, he seems like a good, honest guy {I think you could take the best person and put them in the president's position and they can become corrupt or swayed by congress/peers...}

Hopefully our government can work out its problems...I don't want to go into the Hunger Games...

I know this is wrong, but I hardly ever watch the news because it seems that everything "newsworthy" is sad or depressing. 
It's scary growing up. Especially now that I'm not neive and have to worry about what is going on. Working at a real estate company, I'm really glad I'm not all the way grown up yet and don't have to buy a house right now and make mortgage payments, or really worry about what the government is doing {i know I should worry about it but I still have a little while longer to still be a "kid"}

I think I'll just stick with my shallow shows like Jersey Shore, Grey's anatomy, and AFV.

Monday, August 8, 2011

taxis sono qui....sono qui!

For the past couple of months I've been reading through our Europe books, trying to absorb every ounce of information so I can plan the most amazing trip we'll ever go on. Except it's been a little overwhelming to try and plan this once in a lifetime trip all by myself. From flights to where we will stay, how long we will be in each city, how to communicate with people (the only thing we know how to say is "taxis sono qui" aka "taxis are here" {thank you pauly d on jersey shore!}) I've been getting a little annoyed that Mark hasn't even picked up the Europe books. I want him to be excited too!
And then it happened. Last night he picked up the Europe book and started checking out different cities! He started getting really into it and searching on the comp while thumbing through the book. Then he made a list of cities from each country that looked cool/sounded interesting. It made me so happy to see that this is actually going to happen and it's something he wants to do too! Europe 2012, here we come!
Ever since I went to Italy with my parents in 2007 I've been dying to go back. I have always hoped that someday I would go back with my husband and create so many amazing memories there. Well it's happening!
I'm so grateful for Mark and for him making my dreams come true every day.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

season kickoff!

Guess what starts tonight?!
Mark and I have a date with Jersey Shore tonight at 9:00. 
In honor of my Italian heritage we will be having an Italian dinner. {I may also poof my hair and spray tan before it starts}


 {Yes, we know we are pathetic, but it's just so amusing}

California here we come, right back where we started from

In just 2 weeks we get to to home! I'm so excited, I don't think I have ever been this excited to go home {ok maybe that's a lie, I was really excited last summer to go home for my wedding!} but I have many reasons to be excited this time.
{I miss beautiful Mt. Diablo with the sun burning through the fog in the mornings} 
1. It feels like it's been forever since we've seen our families {in reality, it's only been 4 months since I've seen my family and one month since Mark's} but I miss my mom &dad and my sisters.
2. I miss our houses. There's nothing quite like the feeling of being "home." My old bedroom, Mark's old bedroom, feeling content chillin on the couch watching tv. I don't know, our mom's just know how to make it feel homey.
3. I hope I get to see some of my friends from high school
4. We are going to Disneyland & 6flags with Chris and Rachel!
5. We are going to warm&sunny California!
6. Our family friend who is an amazing photographer {check out her website} is doing a "Trash the dress" photoshoot for us! We are going to San Francisco for this session! I'm so excited, I want to squil every time I think about dressing up in my wedding dress again and taking pictures with the skyline behind us, at AT&T park, at Crissy field in the water with the Golden gate behind us! It's going to be so awesome!

Here are some examples:

http://michelebeckwith.com/blog/2009/12/diana-brian-trash-the-dress-san-francisco-ca/

http://www.kimberlykayphoto.com/blog/weddings/emily-jeff-engagement-session-san-francisco-ca-san-francisco-wedding-photographer/

http://thaimaiphotography.com/blog/trash-the-dress/bic-henry-aftershoot-in-san-francisco/