Learning to Create

I'm sure that everyone can agree- life does not always go as planned. If you would have asked me a year ago what I imagined my life to be like today, I definitely would not have predicted spending my days completely alone with "nothing" to do. However, I know that I am exactly where my Heavenly Father wants me to be right now- in Provo supporting the man that I love. I therefore can't imagine that Heavenly Father expects my life to be full of "nothing." I have thought and thought over the past month or so what to do with my endless free time. If I don't fill up my time, I find myself getting discouraged. So.... what is the answer? CREATE! Creating is something that everyone can do. As said in the following video, "it does not require money, position, or influence to create something of substance or beauty." It is instilled in me as a woman to be creative. How awesome is that! So, I am going to make it my new goal to create something every day. I will try to keep you posted on what I am creating!

Pumpkin Pie Conference

Last weekend all of my siblings came to Utah to enjoy general conference weekend together. The whole family came down to Provo on Friday so that we could go to a BYU football game. It was so much fun! After the game we had a huge sleepover at our apartment (which was quite a feat considering how small our apartment is) We stayed up most of the night singing karaoke and having fun. It was definitely a memory we will not soon forget!

On Saturday we had a fun day together and celebrated "pumpkin pie conference" by watching conference together (which was amazing) and making homemade spudnut donuts and pumpkin pie. Yummmm!!! It was so much fun and I am already itching for another fun party!

My favorite time of year

I know it may seem a bit early to make our blog celebrate autumn... but what can I say? I LOOOVE fall!!! Here are a couple of reasons why autumn is my all time favorite season:

~The BEAUTIFUL color changes in nature

~PERFECT temperature- not too hot, not too cold

~My birthday :-)

~Girls start wearing clothes that actually cover their body

~Pumpkin pie
~Crunchy leaves

~BYU football starts (go cougars!)
~The anticipation of many different holidays which equals time with the family

~I love the smell of fall (am I the only one that notices this?)

Last fall was one of the happiest times of my life. Here's to another great autumn!

Law School!

It's finally here! On Wednesday Phillip officially became a law student! So far, he has been attending countless meetings for orientation, and next Monday all of his classes begin! He is already busy with homework every spare moment of the day (which will definitely take some getting used to) but we are extremely excited and so grateful to be here making our dream of law school a reality!

Starting my studio!

I am SOOO excited to be starting my violin studio here in Provo! I began my advertising about a week ago, and I already have 2 students! That may not seem like a lot to you, but for 1 week of advertising I am very proud of myself! In addition, I have developed a studio website that I am REALLY excited about. (thank you so much Kristal for all of your help!) Please check it out and let me know what you think! I need some helpful tips on what it is lacking. Thanks!

Summer Fun

So far, this summer had been filled with fun and adventure! Over the past month we have...

Gone on a week-long cruise to Alaska








Enjoyed the Diehl Family reunion (which included having Phillip's family come to Utah)



Gone camping with our cousins





Went camping with Robin's family to Palisades




Gone on a fun scenic drive with Phillip's Grandparents, Peter, and Jenny on the Nebo Loop





and...

Moved into our new home in Provo, Utah!!





In addition to all of this, we have been inventing a new, fun boardgame called "Gateway!" Details and pictures of this will be coming soon.

PS Law school starts in a little over 2 WEEKS!!!

Moving Forward

Although we cannot believe it, our time here on the east coast is drawing to a close. We have absolutely loved living in Connecticut and are sad to say goodbye to the pretty scenery and our newfound friends that we have made. While living here, we have had the chance to travel around and visit many beautiful sites. We have also enjoyed spending more time with Phillip's family. Here is a small glimpse at some of the fun we have had:

Our visit to the Mystic, CT Aquarium (April 11)

This truly was a wet day at the aquarium. We really enjoyed the east coast rain as well as the many different animals that were at the Mysitc Aquarium.

Sumpter Family visits us from Delaware (May 16-17)
Phillip's family made the journey north to come and stay with us in our little apartment for a short but fun-filled weekend. We enjoyed cramming into our little apartment and playing games together. We also drove around and visited some of the sites of Avon, Connecticut- including visiting the largest tree in Connecticut!

Our visit to Newport, Rhode Island (May 18th)

We loved traveling up to Rhode Island and seeing the beautiful city of Newport. We went and toured the Vanderbilt mansions which were unbelievable. They were huge and right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery was breathtaking.

Robin's mom and sister Becky visit us from Utah (May 22-25)

We had tons of fun with my mom and Becky while they were here with us. We visited the city of Essex where we rode a vintage steam train and went on a ferry boat ride. It was a great way to see the beauty of Connecticut. We also went to Mystic where we shopped at many cute boutiques. We are so grateful that they were willing to make the long journey to come and see us!

Our Many Visits to the Sumpter Family in Delaware

We have had the chance to visit Phillip's family in Delaware about once a month while living here in Connecticut. While on these trips we have had fun riding bikes, going to the beach, celebrating Phillip's 25th birthday, playing tennis in their back yard, and many other fun activities.

Though it's hard to leave, we are extremely excited for our new adventure... law school!! Phillip is starting law school this August at BYU. We start our journey back west this Saturday. We are moving forward with our lives, and looking forward with much hope to the future.