Home again

Welp. We made it back safe and sound from our adventures in the land of Disney. We got home around 12:30am Tuesday morning, then slept in until 11:40! I think that's the latest we've ever slept in since we've been married. haha. but it was much needed sleep. As soon as we got up we (meaning Jantz) made us a delicious "Christmas morning" breakfast. We already did Christmas on Christmas, but we still had a few more to open at home. So we opened our presents. Jantz seemed pretty surprised/excited about what I got him (yay!). We spent the rest of the day just relaxing and unpacking, with a tasty dinner from In & Out. I say every vacation needs to be followed by a day off at home to recoup.

We took a bunch of videos and pictures, but mostly videos since the rest of the fam was taking lots of pictures. I'll have to figure out how to post some....

I'll be back soon with said videos and then I'll get right back on track with wedding pictures! maybe no one will ever see our wedding pictures but us. haha.

Christmas shopping for the husband

Welp, I did it. I bought my Christmas presents for Jantz. And I even half stuck with my original list...I must admit, I'm pretty excited. I think he's actually going to be surprised (pleasantly surprised I hope). Truth be told, we each already have half of our Christmas presents for each other. haha. We decided since we're going to Disneyland for Christmas this year, that we wanted to spend very little on each other and save the rest for the trip...ok plus we may have bought a new video camera for ourselves as a way early Christmas present (which we used during Thanksgiving and are soo excited to use over our trip!). We each sort of gave each other an idea of what we wanted/needed. I've wanted some flat boots for winter and some new black flats. And I knew Jantz wanted a certain video game (yes my husband plays video games. he thinks when I tell people this they'll think he's a child, but, um, I can't name you one guy I know who doesn't play video games occasionally. haha. or for that matter who isn't just a grown up child haha. i kid.). But then we went to Colorado and I found some darling flat boots AND black flats at a nice store, for basically nothing (thanks to my sister-in-law's discount. one more reason I love her). And then like a week later Jantz found that video game on sale, so he bought it. So, here we both had what we wanted, before Christmas, for less money than we had said we would spend...not so fun for present opening. So now we both have to use the rest of our allotted Christmas present money and surprise each other with new presents. I was worried at first, but I think I got some good ones (plus one for his birthday coming up!). As for Jantz buying for me, I don't think he's got anything yet (I win!), but he has yet to give me a "fail" present, so I have complete faith in him.

We're heading up to my parents house Wednesday night for a "slumber party" of sorts before we leave for the airport at the crack of dawn on Thursday for our adventures in the Disneyland. So in case I don't check in before then, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, filled with lots of relaxing, eating (especially eating), present opening & giving, and of course lots of love :)

it's Friday

I don't really have much to say, but today is the last day of the semester, which means I only have one semester left. one. that's it. I'm so excited to be done and to move on to something else (hopefully a full-time job...).

Christmas is next week. I feel like it should still be December 1st, maybe the 2nd, NOT the week before Christmas! On Thursday Jantz and I will be off to California (with my side of the family). All twelve of us will be gallivanting through Disneyland for Christmas. I blame this whole trip on the one granddaughter in our family. I can't even imagine what vacations they'll take us on when there's two. or three grandchildren. haha, they'll probably just give money at that point. haha. anyway, we're real excited :)

Speaking of Christmas, I still have not bought Jantz any presents. Am I a horrible wife or what? In my defense, he hasn't bought any for me either. haha. I blame that on not wanting to go shopping without him...we like doing everything together ok? haha, ok not everything. I have been building up a list of things to get him for months (I'm a terrible present-buyer, remember?), but looking at it now, it just doesn't seem good enough. Nothing totally surprising and fun. So basically I think I'm back to square one....What do people buy their husbands these days?

Bridal shower, take 2

Funnily enough, as soon as I posted my blog on bridal showers, my mom sent me the pictures from my big one. I'll just give you a few pictures...My mom and amazing bestie Debbie threw me a huge bridal shower with a bunch of my friends, some of my aunts and cousins, and a bunch of Jantz's aunts and cousins that live in Utah (I was so surprised to see them walk in! it was seriously so sweet that they drove over an hour to come :)

We filled the gym, had delicious sandwiches and brownies, and the present opening began...

This is how many people came...just to get the idea

Jantz helped us get ready, like a good fiancé

My darling aunt and uncle and their 5 kids flew in from New Jersey to see us before the wedding. 

They really are so adorable.

Some of Jantz's fam

Some of my fam 

Somehow I agreed to let them tie all the ribbons in my hair...oh and wear those glasses...

Debbie wrote everything down :) she is such a doll for planning this thing

turning draft of thesis in...check :)

I forgot to mention that we went to a Christmas party for Jantz's work (which also happens to be my dad's work...but he was in Japan, so we missed him) on Wednesday. They had delicious food and gave away a lot of prizes. We got a really nice new blender, which we're excited for mostly just to make shakes, which is all we ever use our blender for. We drove up with one of Jantz's co-workers and his wife, with their darling new baby. They were tons of fun. So much fun, that we just got back from a lunch date with them to Chipotle. haha.

So, I turned in the first official draft of my thesis yesterday. And it felt really good, I'm not gonna lie. I ended up with more pages than I expected, and just as many images. Jantz took me out to PF Changs to celebrate :) it was probably the best PF Changs I've had a long time. so good.

Now I get to work on checking off the rest of my to-do list, which is pretty lengthy, but after next week, things will get a lot easier, and then it'll be off to Disneyland for Christmas :)

Tonight we're off to a Christmas party with some friends. It's gonna be real fancy, so we get to dress up - I'm definitely more excited for that than Jantz is. haha. I'm bringing some roasted potatoes...which are soon to be in the oven. I'm hoping to return with some great pictures.

Here's a sneak peak at a wedding picture...I've been trying to sift through them all:

thesis schmeesis

The first draft of my thesis is due on Friday. So basically I've been spending every day for the past couple weeks frantically trying to finish up what I've got. I was so far ahead in the middle of the semester that I kind of slacked off, thinking getting all my pages together wouldn't be too bad. If you can guess, I was wrong. haha. It really hasn't been too bad, just really stressful, but it wouldn't be grad school if it wasn't stressful right? I'm just excited to get this all wrapped up so I can move on to defending my thesis and graduating :)

So, here's to seeing you again after Friday

bachelorette parties :)

I totally forgot that pictures were taken at both my lingerie and bachelorette party! (I'm sure my mom has some from the big bridal shower she threw for me, but I don't have those haha). So here are some pictures...just a little late:

Lingerie Party


hosted by these two lovely ladies, 
ria and b (in that order), they're the best:

 they blindfolded me and i had a certain amount of time to put on everything in the suitcase (i think the story went something like, what if the lights went out on our honeymoon and we had to get dressed really fast)...

everyone loved that all the clothes got tucked into the bikini bottom. scandalous. 

nikki, me, debbie, daisy. friends since elementary school

Lish, Andrea, and Suzie were also there. And they all gave me amazing gifts. because, well, they all are amazing friends. they may have even made me try on some of their gifts...haha, it was a really good time, to say the least.


So here's a waaay late blog post thank you :) 
from both me and jantz (haha)

Bachelorette Party

The night I got into Colorado (Monday before the wedding), my wonderful (then future) mother and sister in-laws and some CO friends threw me a bachelorette party. It was so very sweet of them to do so. First we went to Cheesecake Factory (can you tell yet how much we love it there? haha), and I opened gifts, which were great, by the way, all very thoughtful. Every gift I opened, bridal/lingerie/bachelorette, all of them, I felt more and more blessed to have such amazing/wonderful/special friends and family. 


Okay, here's some of the pictures:


Oh yeah, and they made me wear that crown. it says bride-to-be and it lights up! I wore it all night :)


Larke gave me these hot heels.

I didn't know at the time, but jantz loves those plates and cups in the bag.

our delish cheesecake for desert. i think it was red velvet. it was so good.

Then we went bowling. it really was such a good time. exactly what i needed.

So, there you go :) I guess this could start the recap of the wedding. can't wait.