Summer 2014

Once again has been ages sine I blogged and shared the update of our lives.

I was kept happily too busy over the month of August as Austin was on break, before starting rotations in September. We kept busy playing tennis.. -ok fine, Austin's been chasing my balls, cycling-I kicked his pants ... And then he started kicking mine. Making dinner together, walking our Marlee bug (oh we celebrated her 1st Birthday too!), cooking together and playing Mario Kart .. Yes Mario Kart.

We even spent an afternoon in the Mountains at Bear Lake together, in which we explored the small, adorable town, enjoyed the stillness and beauty of the Mountains, and Kayaked before heading home for the evening. I have felt so richly blessed to share my life with someone as good as Austin. He is kind and patient. He has even helped with all the house hold chores while I'm away at work, for which I am sooo grateful. It has provided us with more time to play once I'm home! Austin and I went on some beautiful morning rides, and on one occasion we even had the chance to enjoy breakfast in the Village, around the corner from our home, at the 50's Diner. It was  beautiful morning and our ride took us  out to the hills of San Dimas and La Verne, past the equestrian clubs and golf courses. It was gorgeous, and most of all I was thrilled to death to think that Austin is going to have the time now, so that we can look forward to many more rides and breakfast dates just like it!

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Bear Lake August 2014


We also had the pleasure of attending a Lee family outing to Sandiego for a few days and we so loved experiencing a new place, spending quality time with sweet baby London (our Niece) and the rest of the family.  They treated us to Sea World AND the Sandiego Zoo, both were superb! I was absolutely mesmerized by the dolphins, Killer Whales and of course the Sting Rays (I loved touching them!) Unfortunately we left behind the GoPro on this adventure, as I so would have loved footage of Austin and I boogying the waves together.

August 2014

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After our week of vacation together I had to go back to work, and Austin was able to drive down to Sandiego, once again, but this time to meet up with a close friend of ours (Dirk Stock) - For those of you who don't know him, he was a close friend of mine growing up, and later we went to BYU-I together; where Austin became Chem lab partner with him. Dirk eventually played match maker and hooked Austin and I up on a blind date.. And the rest is history ;).. Dirk is still our very closest friend  and we miss him all the time. Dirk, his brother and Austin went sky diving, partied hard at the beach and eventually made their way to our place for a night, and I was thrilled to see them!!

A week later I spent Labor day weekend in Washington with my parents and I absolutely loved every minute of it! I haven't spent quality time at home for over 3 years so it was truly wonderful to enjoy the start of the September weather and some one-on-one time with my parents, We spent the weekend going on bike rides along the river, floating the lazy river at our local gym, painting and doing crafts with my Mom, baking and of course eating amazing food (seriously I haven't eaten that well in ages) I was able to see two of my closest friends as well, which was truly a miracle as Mckenzi planned last minute to come home for the weekend. I'm soo glad!!  - the only thing missing was having Austin with us. It was a memorable tripand it was a good reminder of how blessed I have always been. I love who I come from, where I come from and all the good people I have always been surrounded by.

Selfie

We made these adorable Crafts (not the finished product)

My mom and I made this Lemon lb cake and it was AMAZING!

Mckenzi, Leish and I at the Bullocks home

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Life returned to normal as Austin started rotations in September; he was assigned to OBGYN this month out in Apple Valley. He's enjoyed working with his proctor and has learned a lot. His schedule has been much more generous to us as he hasn't been required to study till late in the evening. We have seriously loved the change in routine and have been making the most of it, playing tennis, walking Marlee, enjoying bike rides and we even went to Disney this last weekend!!

Disney 9/27/2014

It seems since Austins been home more and available to dote and love up my Marlee, she has found a new favorite companion/best friend.  When I say "Daddies coming home" her ears perk up and she promptly bounds to her perch upon the top of the sofa to watch for his arrival.... And

this is all for the boy who was absent practically all year.... Goes to show how good he is at melting a girls heart. Not even Marlee can resist!

All is well and Happy here, Though we are missing all our friends, family and loved ones.

Till next time Friends!

General Fun- Summer beginings

It's been a hectic, fun filled month here at the Lee household.
It has been a reminder of all the tender mercies we have been bestowed with; as well as a sweet reminder of how much I love our extended family and how much I love my life. God is good and my husband is the best:)

Once again we were at Austin's parents for a fun filled weekend, where we took family pictures, and of course had a great time! Thank you Mom and Dad Lee for your constant open door policy to us. Constantly crashing and invading and making life more hectic and exciting!

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The very next weekend we were off to the Robinson Wedding! (my oldest sister Nikelle)
Where we saw tons of family, old friends, and close friends and though it was short it was awesome! I so loved having an excuse to dash off to Utah. 

The best part was having three couples crashing Nikelle's new place and making it into a large, hectic (just how us Bird's like it) sleepover. Thank you Nikelle for being so accommodating!! I was able to see one of closest friends Mckenzi and her husband Garrett and I loved it! Thank you Gallinger's for introducing us to the Nickel Arcade*  It's always a pleasure to see my friends, even if it's short, it's always sweet and, yet again, another reminder how blessed I am to have met so many kindred spirits as a young teen, and even better, to have held onto those treasured relationships. 

The wedding was stunning and so beautifully captured Nikelle and her vigor for life. Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped my parents. We are so fortunate <3
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Austin was enjoying his two week break and spent it keeping busy and helping me around the house. He loved up Marlee and even planned dates and time together. We hiked the Claremont loop and reminded ourselves that we live only 2 miles from a beautiful loop that professional dirt bikers (whom we admire) ride often.. *Claremont Cool Factor

He patiently drove me all around finding pieces to decorate our home with, hung pictures on my wall while I bossed him around and bless his heart even let me order, for the first time, furniture
 *Another  landmark in becoming an adult!
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This last weekend we had the absolute pleasure to play hostess to Austin's Mother Gina and we LOVED it!
We buzzed around our town, overwhelming her with all our favorites. Spent a few hours in Corona Del Mar, shopped around hobby lobby (which turns out even Austin loves), ate good food, laughed a lot and enjoyed each others company. We were so grateful for her efforts in making it out to see us. 

Hoping I can snag more of my siblings to make it out as well as the rest of the Lee crew ;)




 

When Life Gives you Lemons!

This past week I was responsible for giving a lesson (Relief Society Activity)  on useful household ways to use lemons. Thanks to Pinterest I found dozens of ways to use lemons, and it turns out I actually LOVED all the interesting facts, even enough to ACTUALLY do them!!.. I'm so pleased that I've decided to share what I found:)

Some of my Quick Favorites:


Clean your Wood cutting board:
Squeeze lemon juice onto your wood cutting board, add salt and scrub. Let it sit for awhile before rinsing. Seriously how cool is this? Wood cutting boards are sort of gross. I mean they absorb tastes and smells and can hold bacteria. But now I can clean it without worrying I'm poisoning my family by using hard chemicals on it!

You know all those hard water spots on your glass shower door, or the faucets, or how about your knives and silver wear?? --Waalaa! Add pure lemon juice and scrub. Eats it right off!!

Because I hate using bleach: First off bleach is so extremely toxic, second its hard on your washing machine and your clothes and third lemons smell better and its cheaper!
-- So instead  add 12 cups of water, 1/4 cup of lemons juice and I cup of hydrogen peroxide..  Now you can use this in a spray bottle to clean counters, or add 2 cups to your whites, or spot treat one of your favorite white tops:)

Everyday disinfectant-
Fill a container with cut up lemon peels and add vinegar to cover the peels. Seal your container with a tight-fitting lid and put it away and forget about it for two weeks. After two weeks, strain the lemon peels from the vinegar then add water (about 50/50 ratio).

Just a few Extra's if your interested:)

Cut grease- Lemon is a natural corrosive with the power to cut grease. Simply make a solution of lemon and water,  spray onto grease and wipe clean.

Clean the Microwave- Fill a microwave safe bowl with water, cut a lemon in half and squeeze juice into the water, then put the lemon skin side up into the bowl. Cook for about five minutes. Carefully remove bowl and wipe down the microwave with a damp cloth. 

Dishwasher- To get rid of the odor in your dishwasher place a cup of lemon juice on the bottom rack of an empty dishwasher and run the rinse cycle. Your dishwasher will be effectively deodorized and cleaned.

 

FamiLee - Hollister Hills

Mom and Dad Lee hosted a family camping trip in Hollister Hills this past weekend, and even Austin and I were able to make it despite the 5 hour drive and Austin's busy school schedule. It was well worth it and I'd do it again in a heart beat!!

-Quick shout out to Dad and Parker for all the hard work they invested in making it happen. Thank you!! 

Highlights:
-Riding for my first time :)
-Definitely taking a solo ride with Austin, soo looking forward to graduation so we can do things like this more often
-Seeing Austin take off on a ride with the boys and watching him return a rejuvenated happy guy
-Magic tricks with Hunter- Believe me I was so worked up over these!! 
-Time spent by the camp fire, what is it about fires that's so hypnotic? 

 

Unfortunately Marlee couldn't join us on this trip, so she staid with my good friend Abby. But we sure missed her!

 

(A precious pic I snapped when Marlee climbed onto Austin's lap for quality time)
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For the most part Austin studied, poor guy, but we so enjoyed being outside,  the fresh air, and the good company. I've come to realize that it doesn't matter where I live as long as we're relatively near by mine or Austin's family. They are my best friends, and it's always better when we're together.

I am now very much looking forward the Bird family gathering, in which my Big sister Nikelle will be getting married!! Just 3 short weeks and Bird family will be together again, can't wait!

A Walk to Remember

I want to recap mine and Austin's first year, plus 4 months, of marriage; as I know that one day it'll be precious to me and the memory faded.
For us it has been 16 months of extreme change and a lot of hard work, yet packed with silly stories and simple fun memories. 

We were married in December of 2012 and after returning from our Honey Moon we..

Went on a Ski trip with my family
and moved into our first home together

Honeymoon -Seattle WA  

That winter semester we managed to BARELY survive the winter months. Austin worked his guts out completing his final and most difficult courses, while juggling the application and interview process of applying to P.A schools.

On New Years Eve we celebrated by moving into our first home (of 4 in the last 16 months)
This was to be my FIRST and last semester living in Rexburg during the winter term and for any of you out there who know anything about Rexburg understand that this is significant, as Rexburg was -20 degrees that first day. The ice caked the baseboard of our front door and it closely resembled the ice covering the inside of your freezer; I considered saving on electricity and leaving our food on the front porch. We spent our second day in our new  home applying plastic and cardboard to our windows.. Needless to say we were able to enjoy many scandalous mornings and evenings scrapping our windows mumbling made up profanities, swearing we would never scrape windows in our future life: one that we were sure, included California weather.

Accomplishments:
-I landed an amazing job as a Dental Assistant and absolutely loved it.
-We were thrilled when Austin received an acceptance letter from Western University! 

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At the end of the term we moved to our Second home just across town for another brief 3 months. We made sure to enjoy some of Rexburg's simple Idaho fun, including the Drive in, Rigby Mini golf (which you can see got pretty intense) We invited Austin's youngest brother and his Mother Gina to come out for the 4th of July and we had a great time  :)
We even attended the Idaho Falls flee market and bought Austin his guitar! Who knew right!?
Austin took his last and final test at BYU-I's testing center and we even found it significant enough to take a photo of. :)
So like any other sane couple we packed our car and new, yet highly unreliable, little trailer and began our 15 hour trip just as the clock struck Midnight.. By 8 AM we had to pull over into a McDonalds parking lot to sleep. We certainly looked like the worse kind of hicks. 

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I'd love to say that we moved to California and it was all "California Girls" esc.. But I wouldn't want to lie. We were welcomed to our new home by Pawn shops, taco-rias and cockroaches. My one and only house warming present was a thing of Mace,  I was a wreck. And Austin had no idea what to do with me. So after 2 days he drove me the 4 hours back to his Mothers house.. Smart guy
But life went on, Austin started school and I was able to attend my little sisters wedding AND my big brothers wedding.
I quickly found a job and Austin and I took a big leap and bought a puppy!

Austin gave in and moved us to Claremont after 3 months, and I'm pleased to say we are both soo happy!

Accomplishments:
Austin completed and passed his first semester of PA school!
I survived hobo's in my garbage, a pimp working my local 7-11 and shootings in my complex!
We bought a second car (how very adult-esc of us!)
We adopted a puppy and I even managed to potty train her.
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In our new home we have enjoyed many fun things

Attended A1 Super cross event, which was some of the most fun I've had
Went to Six Flags!
On Valentines day we went to my first concert ever! - Imagine Dragons and Naked and Famous opened- both were incredible

Austin is in the middle of Finals for his Second semester and it's pretty terrible to be honest. Our schedule nearly never overlaps, as he returns home hours after I've gone to bed and we see each other for a quick 10 minutes to say family prayer before we part ways. But life has not been without blessing. I have made a bosom friend, whom i met at the dog park just around the corner from our home. Our puppies are best of friends, just as Abby and I were fast friends. I believe we both needed each other and were an answer to many prayers.
Though this year has captured many tender and fun memories, it has been the most trying and difficult year of my life. Some of the details are far too intimate and personal to share in this way, though I do think I'll write them down somewhere, perhaps in a personal journal. The year of 2013 brought growth and change; growing pains are no fun, but the results are usually worth it.
My main purpose for starting this blog was that I felt it would better assist me in capturing and recognizing all the good in our life. As I write this post, I smile at how silly and fun mine and Austin's first year of marriage has been, while at the time I felt every moment was rather hard and I couldn't wait for the next stage; whether that was "spring semester, moving to California, till we moved to a new home, till Austin graduated" ects. When in fact, I look back at each season in our life with fondness. There is no time like the present and my hope is that I will better live in the here and now.

Return With Honor

This weekend Austin's little brother Hunter returned home from serving a two year mission for our Church in the Scotland/Ireland Mission. We were all able to get together at the Lee's home in Fresno.
Austin and I met in April of 2012 only days after Hunter's departure, we quickly fell in love and were engaged August 13th and have since been married for a year and 4 months. It was so great to finally meet the last Lee, as it was a long time in the making.
Hunter was able to meet our sweet niece London- a feisty 14 month old, Myself, the families newest dog Moose, and our puppy Marlee.
Hunter  gave a beautiful home coming talk and we were all so very impressed and proud of him. Though I was so shocked by his resemblance to my own husband! After Sacrament meeting members of the ward kept approaching Austin and "welcoming him home", needless to say Austin, his usual self of course, thoroughly enjoyed carrying full on conversations of how great his mission was, only moments later would Hunter come around the corner and the member would be found dumb with the odd situation, but before they could respond Austin would conveniently disappear. As for myself I did enjoy observing the awkward responses and facial expressions as my husband left confused members scattered about the building.
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We returned late last night ready to tackle the weeks ahead. Austin's diving head first into finals; just three more weeks and he's officially done with his second semester of PA school! We are so looking forward to the two week break he will enjoy before starting up on his final semester, prior to rotations. During that break I'll be working, but we do have plans to attend my oldest Sister's wedding in Utah over a long weekend, and we're hoping to squeeze in a day to Six Flags before he starts up again.