Darrington Bucket List {WINTER 2016}

A couple days ago Dallin and I made our first family bucket list. It's a new tradition that we are starting and I am so excited about it! Every three months we will create a new bucket list of things that we'd like to do together that season. It's less of  a "cross it off before you die" and more of a list of memories we want to fill our life with! I think it's a perfect way to help us have great experiences together and create lasting memories.

And so I give you our very first bucket list....

An Attitude of Gratitude

As Thanksgiving approaches I wanted to be sure to write about the things I am grateful for in my life. I've felt extremely overwhelmed lately, both with good things and not so good things. It simply hasn't been easy the past couple months. Mentally, I have been struggling. I've been under a lot of stress. I find motivation hard to come by and its difficult to be positive. I feel like I've been in this constant battle to climb out of this pit of hopelessness. I climb out and fall right back in- repeatedly. I think it's very helpful for me to see the good and to search for the positive things in my life which is why this post is perfect for me right now.

My husband Dallin. I don't know what I would do without my best friend. He is honestly the perfect person for me and complements me so incredibly. Truly a match made in heaven.

The Book of Mormon. Although I have been extremely stressed, this book gives me the strength I need to get through each day.

God. What a comfort it is to know that I have a father in heaven who cares about me so deeply and genuinely. He knows me better than I know myself and believes in me.

Family. Both my family and Dallin's family bring me so much happiness and it's nice to know that they have my best interest in mind.

The little things. Life is better because of all the little things God grants us. How the sun warms my skin when the crisp air of winter sets in. Lovely Christmas lights on homes around town. A comfortable and cozy bed. Laughter. The ability to walk and simply enjoy our breathing living bodies- they are a gift. My favorite canned chili. Pretty skirts on Sunday. Falling asleep every night next to a man that I love... the list could go on and on. These little things that make us smile are my favorite tender mercies from God that let me know he loves me.

There are a million more things that I could list. I am blessed with so much and I really want to strive to be more grateful for my blessings. Maybe I should look into starting a gratitude journal. Is it too soon to start thinking about new years resolutions? I think not, It definitely beneficial to count our blessings and realize just how much we really do have.

Blessed

We are halfway done with the semester and we can finally see the finish line! A lot has been falling into place lately and I feel very blessed.

Dallin and I read the Book of Mormon in one weekend! We listened to it starting Saturday and finishing Monday moring. I had never read the Book of Mormon all the way through and felt that I wouldn't unless I just buckled down and got it done. So that's what we did! I believe that we have been incredibly blessed because of this. My testimony of this book has grown and it was really interesting to read the book all together as a history rather than a chapter or verse. The stories all came together and it made so much sense to me.

We are taking a scripture study class this semester and I have learned so much about myself and the way I study the scriptures best. For me, it doesn't work to read the scriptures daily going cover to cover. I worry too much about distance and don't get a lot out of my reading that way. I study best by picking a topic and going to a few different places or by picking a story and studying that event. Sometimes I just open randomly and read that page. Wherever I read, I read it twice. After I've finished the passage I've chosen, marking things that stand out to me, I read it again. Sometimes a third time too. Reading the passage more than once ALWAYS opens up more revelation and learning for me. The second and third time around the scriptures always seem to apply to me and my life. I am able to learn so much that way. I've been a lot closer to the spirit and have seen the hand of God in my life since I have been more diligently reading my scriptures.

Dallin and I went on a date a couple weekends ago and had such a good time. We devoted our whole Saturday to simply having fun together and we did. We had a great time and I haven't felt that happy in so long. We went to bear world and had a bear approach our car which was really cool to experience. We did the petting zoo and even fed the ducks. In the petting zoo we found the grouchy pot bellied pig that my family had found when we went so many years ago. Seriously the grouchiest pig ever. After bear world we did some random shopping and went to dinner. I fell in love with my husband all over again and and very grateful we were able to have such an enjoyable day!

We've been stressing about trying to find a job and finding a place to live for a couple months now. We did a lot of praying and made a lot of calls. It was leading to a lot of dead ends and nothing really felt good. Nothing felt right. Then Dallin had a really good feeling to call a good friend of his, thinking for sure this job was going to work because he had such a good feeling about it. Well, it didn't work out. It was confusing. We were back to square one. Then, a few days later Dallin received a call from a man in Dietrich. He was offering Dallin a job. It was a HUGE blessing. A couple weeks later we went down to Declo for the weekend and Dallin went to Dietrich to find out more about the job and if it would work for us. Turns out, it was perfect. It better than we could have imagined. It comes with a four bedroom house! (Best part of the deal in my opinion.) Dallin will get a work pickup too. This job is better than we hoped.

We were disappointed because nothing was feeling right to us, disappointed that nothing was coming together. But I know now it was because God had something better planned for us. Sometimes we have plans for ourselves that sound really good, but God always has something even better in store for us if we are patient and follow him. He loves us so much. I feel so blessed and so grateful. I feel very undeserving of the blessings God is willing to give me but I am thankful he blesses me anyway.

Back to School

Its been a over a week since we've moved from Nevada and are finally starting to get settled into our apartment. We came back to the same complex we were in last time so we have the same ward which is nice. The bishop is really awesome.

I've gotten our apartment almost all decorated. I love that I know my decorating style now and feel much more confident in what I want our home to look like. I've been doing a lot of crafts the last couple weeks, making things that I can use to decorate our home. Its been super fun and I've really enjoyed it. I thought it would be fun to give a little tour of the apartment and compare it with our last apartment. Its the exact same layout and everything. That will probably be my next post as I still have a few things to do!

Its really weird being back in Rexburg and starting school again. Its almost like we never left! Looking back, it feels like Nevada was just a dream. A good dream though. Its just crazy to think that we lived in Nevada this summer.

I'm really excited for some of my classes... and some of them not so much. I have to take a China class and its already killing me. I hate it but I'm sure I'll survive. I'm sure that before we know it the semester will be over and we will be moving to Declo! And then of course we will miss this once its gone. It is really to have so much time together. Right now Dallin doesn't have to work so we've been enjoyed all the time we get together. We've had a lot of movie nights! Its been really fun.

On a sad note, the day we moved to Nevada I found out that my dog had died. It was really hard to receive that news. Boe was such a good friend to me. He was there for me when I was going through some really rough times and was always happy to see me. He truly was a blessing in my life and I will never forget him.

And Just Like That Summer is Ending

The next time I post we will have moved back to Idaho! Our summer here is almost over! In a week and a half we move back to Rexburg to go back to school. Every day of this summer felt so incredibly long, but now that its practically over I can't believe how fast its gone.

We've definitely been busy this summer! Between work and going back home I feel like we haven't gotten much down time. our 2016 summer has been packed.

The first weekend in July we went to Twin Falls to go through the temple with Jared. It was really good for me to go back since it had been a really long time. I was nervous but it was really nice to have Dallin's mom and my sister in laws there. It just feels good every time you walk out of there. Such a beautiful and peaceful place.

We went to the fourth of July celebration with my mom and in Malta and got to watch the fireworks which was really fun!

I also had the opportunity to speak at the Declo stake girls camp in July! It was such an incredible experience. The spirit was so strong and I am so thankful that I have been blessed with the ability to share my story. I've gone through some difficult trials in my life but now I can share them with others and help them. As I talked to girls and their leaders afterwards my heart was touched by their stories and I was overwhelmed with a deep love for them. I feel blessed to have been able to be there.

That same weekend we went to Jordan's graduation up in Rexburg. It was a busy weekend. We've made a lot of trips back home, particularly to declo and I've really enjoyed the time we've spent there.

In August we went to the fair and to Harris pond and a family reunion on Dallin's side at the Elba Park. Now THAT was a busy weekend. It was good though and we had a lot of fun!

This last weekend we went to Rexburg to get our keys and move a few things into the apartment early. It was fun to see our apartment and get a few things moved in! Dallin also went that day to Idaho falls with my younger brothers and played airsoft wars with a group there. He had a lot of fun and said that it didn't hurt nearly as bad as paintball. We were supposed to have some couches delivered to our apartment that day but when we text the guy we were getting them from he never answered and he never answered our calls either. It really sucked. They were the perfect couches. However, I think we found some other couches so I'm excited about that! On our way home this last weekend we stopped at the Salt Flats. It was super cool to see. Just miles and miles of salt!

We are looking forward to moving in to our own apartment again. I can't wait to decorate and make that space our own. Its going to be so much fun!

In between all the fun Dallin has been working so hard on the farm and really enjoying it. Ive also been keeping up with my blanket business. Still going strong!

Nevada

We moved again! This time to another state! Craaaazy. We've been here for about 3 weeks now and honestly its been pretty good so far.

Where we live is about 4 hours from home so its not too bad. The area we live in reminds me a lot of Malta. Hot and dry. We have mountains all around us and there is sagebrush everywhere. Again, a lot like Malta. However, it is pretty in its own way. Its pretty much a desert but it definitely has a certain beauty to it.

We are about 45 minutes from the nearest town, McGill, and about an hour from Ely where we do our  grocery shopping. Neither of the towns are very big. Ely doesn't even have a Walmart! We go to church in McGill but have only been there once since the past couple weekends we've been heading to Declo for baby blessings and fathers day ect. The one time we did go was really good though. The people were so nice and the ward was a pretty good size. I didn't know what to expect when we went there but it went really well. I'm excited to go back and meet more people. I'd like to make some connections so that if we do come back in January that we know some people and feel comfortable here.

Dallin has been working some long, hard hours but he really enjoys the work here he says. I think he enjoys staying busy and rolling in the dough haha. He's out in the tractor a lot and so I've had a lot of opportunities to ride along with him. I've really liked that! Dallin gets along great with the guys he works with so that's definitely a plus. I'm so happy that he's enjoying this job.

I like it here in Nevada well enough, but it's definitely hard to live with people. We've done it every summer since we've been married, but I think this is the last time! Just a couple more months. I can do this. I think that I am honestly happier and a better wife to Dallin when we live on our own. Here we are subject to everyone's different schedules and it really stresses me out. I can't wait until its just me and Dallin again! I think I'd enjoy it here so much more if we had our own place.

I am so thankful though that we had the opportunity to come here to Nevada it's definitely been an adventure and I can't wait to see how the rest of the summer goes!

Living in Elba

We've enjoyed our time here in Elba and have liked getting to spend some time with Landon before we move to Nevada and before he graduates. I can t believe he's graduating already, but then again he seems to old to be in high school. A while ago we all took a trip to Burley to get groceries and we had a good time.

                                      


We also decided to release our ducks out in the pond on the farm in Malta. They've been doing really well out there and it was fun to see them enjoy swimming in so much water.

For family night a couple weeks ago Dallin and I looked up activities in a FHE book that we got when we were married. We found an interesting toilet paper activity. In this activity one person unrolls the toilet paper roll while saying all the things they love about their spouse. If they stopped talking they had to stop rolling the toilet paper. The other spouse does the same thing, but rolls up the unrolled toilet paper. We really enjoyed doing this and had a lot of fun. I think that it made me think deeper than I had in a while about what I really love about Dallin. It was a great reminder.

April Recap

Again, its been a long time since I have written and now April is almost over! So I'll give a bit of a recap on whats gone on this month.

• We finished our semester and passed all of our classes. 
• We moved back to Elba to live with Landon. (This is only until Dallin's dad can get more help on the dairy; then we are headed to Nevada to work for my dad!)
• We went and visited Dad in Nevada and really liked it! 
• My Birthday was the 17th and I turned 20 years old! We went around from Elba to Declo and to Malta in order to see everyone. It was a busier birthday, but a good one.
• I started my online classes on the 18th. I'm taking 5 credits over the summer so that its easier for me to graduate in December with Dallin! The classes aren't too bad, just a Physical Health class and Basic Writing class.
• I've been staying really busy with my business. I've reached over 150 orders! How insane is that??
• Dallin has been fairly busy working in Declo, but I think we are both excited to move to Nevada sometime this next month.

That about sums it up! I'll be sure to stay on top of writing next month!

So Busy

Lately we have been so busy! We only have three more weeks until the semester ends so right now we are having to crack down and get to work on group projects, presentations and preparing for finals. We are so ready to be done! 

I have been really busy trying to balance my business and school work. I have so many orders to fill and often feel like there's not enough time in the day to get it all done! But somehow I am surviving and getting it done. It'll be nice not to have to go to class everyday soon. Hopefully that will give me more time to get everything done!

I'll get a break from school for a week, but then Ill be at it again. I am taking a couple classes over the Spring semester so that I can finish school in December when Dallin finishes. it will be so nice to be done! 

Although we will get a break from Rexburg and from college, I feel like we are going to be pretty busy this summer. In three weeks we head back to Elba and move into my dads place where Landon is living right now. For about a month and a half Dallin will be helping his dad out on the farm. As soon as their milker recovers (he got hurt a long while back) then we will actually be heading to Nevada to work on the farm that my dad is on. It really pays pretty good and I don't believe we wil have to pay for housing! Then when September rolls around we will be headed back up to Rexburg for our last semester. Anyways, its going to be a pretty busy summer I think!

If we end up likin Nevada, Dallin has the option to take a long term position there so that is really exciting. The farm out there is pretty remote though! Its not even in a town. From my dads house its about a half hour to the nearest town.... which is so small!! It would definitely take some getting used to!

Right now this is where we are at, just pushing through to finish the semester and pass all our classes! 

Life Right Now

Life right now is good. I am happy with my life. I am extremely blessed. The past couple weeks have been rough but things are slowing down a little bit and feel really good.

Dallin recently returned home after a WEEK LONG field trip to California with the school. That's right, you heard me. A whole week. Six long days and five long nights. We hadn't even spent one night away from each other! But we made it.. somehow and Dallin had a really good experience. He learned a lot and was able to go to the World Ag Expo so that was really exciting for him. I'm glad he was able to go. Him being gone also forced me to do a lot of things out of my comfort zone and become more self reliant. Although I hate to admit it, this was good for me too. If anything, we learned just how much we really appreciate each other. I'm just so glad he is home.

My business has decided to explode. It is CRAZY. The minky blankets that I added in January have been a huge hit. I've hit 60 orders already when my goal was to have at least 50 by the end of the year. I hit that in the first month. I am so blessed to be able to run my own business and its actually bringing in a good profit. i'm so proud of my little shop and I feel so accomplished. I actually have to close the shop for a couple weeks so that I can catch up on some orders! I'll be reopening March 1st. Its been such a blessing.

Speaking of blessings, I have felt really good recently because of answered prayers. For a long time Dallin and I have been struggling to find an answer to a difficult question we've had. It seemed that everywhere we went this question was brought up over and over again. We prayed and prayed again to seek answers. Then suddenly the answer, or a solution came to my mind and I just feel so good about it. There are no more doubts and it just feels right. I am so thankful that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and is willing to guide us on our journey.

Something else that is new is that Dallin quit his job here in Rexburg. Yep. Dallin's family has been really overworked since they don't have any milkers right now so Dallin and I are going back to Declo every weekend and he helps with the milking and a few other things. Its a lot of back and forth but I;m happy we can help and it actually pays better that the job he had before. It'll all work out.

My dad also has a new job. He took a job in Nevada as a Farm Manager. The farm he runs is 2500 acres and in the middle of nowhere. He's still getting adjusted I think but he gets to keep his house in Elba and visit so that's pretty exciting. I really hope it works out for him. I think it will be a great thing!

December Recap

I didn't get a chance... or perhaps was too lazy... to write in December so here is a quick recap:

We went out and bought the cutest little Christmas tree for our apartment and put up some lights in the house. It felt so festive and cozy in our apartment all December.

Dallin and I finished another semester with A's and B's. We are glad to be one semester closer to being done!

We had a great Christmas! We went back home for the holidays and got to Skype with Greg which was great! We can't believe that he's already been out a year! It was really nice to spend some time with family.

Dallin was so thoughtful this Christmas. He saved up some money without me knowing and bought me a super nice curling iron set! I was thrilled and have already used it a few times. He is seriously the sweetest!

We also celebrated Dallin's 23rd Birthday! I baked a cake and frosted it.  While Dallin was at work, I tried to make it look good and decorate it, but lets face it. I need a lot of practice haha!

We've been really enjoying our Christmas break from school and being able to spend more time together. For Christmas we received quite a few board games and so the last few days we've been playing games and having a lot of fun. We have particularly enjoyed monopoly and have played it at least four times!

And lastly, an update on my business! It has done a lot better than I thought and is also headed in a different direction than I thought! My Rag quilt hasn't sold yet but I've done really well with burp cloths! I've sold four sets of burp cloths and have received three 5 star reviews! I am so excited to expand my shop. I'm designing more burp cloths and will be adding some pacifier clips as well as simple minky blankets! I am so thankful for this shop and that its working out for me.