One week down!

We really like Charlottesville.  It's beautiful here.  It provided a great back drop for us to savor every last moment before school began again.  But some where in there I blinked, and that free time was OVER before I knew it. 

   Derrick began with orientation on Monday and Tuesday, and real classes on Wednesday.  I also began my new semester on Wednesday.  I was way more overwhelmed than Derrick.  I spent 3 days putting out fires and resolving issues with my books, and online classes that I even forgot to ask Derrick about his classes until Thursday.  

    While he had plenty of work to do, he still managed to spend quality time with me, and take the weekend off for a birthday party at my cousin, Tammy's house.   I fully expect that it will get harder, and that time will become more and more precious.  But for now, I am grateful that it wasn't as awful as I expected!  

We made it through one week of law school.  Now to get through 3 years!

:)

A New Sister!

 July gave us a great reason to visit California.. Doug (Derrick's brother) and Madeline got married! Derrick and I flew out and spent a few days celebrating, and exploring. We explored San Francisco and Sacramento.  We got to meet Maddie's sweet family. And, we got to go to the Jelly Belly factory.  (Which is free, so do it!)
   Maddie is an angel, and we love her. We are so happy to welcome her into our family. She looked AMAZING and everything was perfect!  They were married in the Sacramento temple, and celebrated with a carnival themed reception.  It was the most fun I have ever had a wedding.
  Our trip in pictures:

We forgot our camera, and didn't get any photos at the wedding, reception or in Sacramento. :/ FAIL.  Thanks to Wade who shared some of his.   (Also Maddie:  I don't have any pictures of us together!  This needs to corrected our next visit!)

The Scovilles in North Carolina

*Warning, I ramble a lot here.


 Back in April, David and Christine Scoville came to NC and wanted to go to the Outer Banks.  Derrick and I had never been on a real vacation together, and Scovilles were here.  What more could be better?  So the four of us packed up and took in as much North Carolina as possible in a week.  (Special thanks to our dear friends who made it all possible!  We love you guys!)
   Our trip first took up to Pembroke where we met the sweetest people that David first met when he served a mission there.  Then on to Wilmington.  We got to tour the USS North Carolina, which was fascinating. We only had about an hour there, so we didn't get to read every sign or learn everything about it, but we got some great pictures. (If you click on the photos, you can see them in greater detail.)

Lots and lots of stairs.

This is on the way into Ammunition Silo.  I had no idea how much work it takes to operate those big guns!  

Yes, I am pretending to drive the ship, and it was a blast! 

From there, we ventured on to the Aquarium.  Have you ever seen an albino alligator?

Then we hit the beach!  It was a nice day to walk in the water, but still too cold to swim. 

 

Later that night we introduced Christine to Cheerwine, and walked around Wilmington.  It was so much fun. 

  The next day we moved on to Ocracoke Island.  It was a ferry ride from the mainland, a very long ferry ride.  Christine and I napped while Derrick and David played a game. Ocracoke Island was small, and quaint.  It has the oldest light house on the OBX. 

  

We then took another Ferry to Cape Hatteras.  Which has probably the most recognizable light house.  During the summer season, you can climb to the top. We were two days too early for that little adventure!  We then hit the beach on the island. 

 Bodie island was next, and didn't require a ferry.  There is a pretty awesome bridge connecting them. That light house was under some renovation, so we couldn't get too close. However,  there was a nice dock or bridge that you could take out over the marshy area surrounding the light house to get a great view. 

 You can see from the photo that it was getting late, and overcast.  So we didn't spend too long here, we moved on to Kitty Hawk.  We stayed the night there, and saw Wright Brothers Museum the next day.  It was interesting.  I think what struck me the most is how determined these two were to fly. They never quit trying no matter how many obstacles that had to overcome. They were even self taught. It reminds me that we are capable of so much.

  There is a great monument here that we couldn't resist playing on; and also a life size sculpture of that epic moment when their machine first took flight that offered a few moments of fun. 

We went from Kitty Hawk to Greenville, where we met another great person David knew. We pushed on to Raleigh to spend that night there. We spent a couple hours the following day at the capitol building, and a museum across from it. We didn't have a lot of time, but what we saw of both was worth it.  I hope Derrick and I can go back and take the rest of that museum in. Both are free, so if you are in Raleigh it's worth the time. 

The rotunda in the Capitol Building

The Library I wish I had!

We spent this night and the rest of the trip in good old Gastonia. We took them to see Kings Mountain, a Revolutionary War battle field, and we fed them tasty Southern Food.  

Having David and Christine around again was fantastic!  It was a great trip!  Vacation is a good thing. Vacation with great friends is the best! 

    

5 years and counting...

   Wednesday August 8th marked 5 years of marriage for us.  Derrick and I had only dated for a mere 3 weeks when we decided to get married.  It was shock to everyone, including us. Two months later we knelt together at the temple and made sacred covenants with God and each other.  That day I knew I loved Derrick, but I never imagined how little I knew of love.
    I'm sure on some level, I thought I was getting the movie love.  You know the stuff romantic comedies are made of like flowers and dancing in the rain.  Well it wasn't long before reality set in.  You never see what happens after they ride off into the sunset.  Dirty laundry and petty bickering doesn't make interesting movies.
   What I got from Derrick was real, and raw!  It challenged me to be different, to change my priorities and forget my pride.  Over the years, it has evolved and still continues to challenge and change me. This love inspires me to be better and work harder.  It compliments my goals, and in many ways makes my life easier.  There are still days that are hard.  But even on those days, this love is worth the work.
   Not everything has changed,  Derrick still completes me.. Yes I said it!  As cheesy as that is, it's true. He still makes me laugh.  He does still make those movie like romantic gestures on occasion and I still swoon for them. We still bicker.. But I love that we can be honest with each other.
   I can say without hesitation that the past 5 years have been the best of my life.
          Happy Anniversary Derrick.

Truth Update!

Truth is, it's been a while.
Truth is, sometimes life isn't easy.

Truth 1: Moving is bitter sweet:
     When Derrick and I got married, I knew we would move a lot in our lives. Back in December we moved to NC while we decided on a law school, and then just last week we moved to VA for law school. While living in new cities can be very exciting, missing my dear friendships is painful.  There are people in this world that I lean on, confide in, laugh with, cry with, complain to, and share life with.  The hardest part of moving is learning to live away from these people. Truth is, I can live anywhere as long as it's with Derrick.

Truth 2: I want a baby!
       This is the hardest thing for me to admit, because ignoring it makes it easier to deal with the fact that it just hasn't happened for us yet.  I think the journey to parenthood is sacred, and everyone's path is different. I am trying to exercise faith, and patience.  Truth is, some days that is easier than others.

Truth 3: Student housing is a good choice.
       The irony makes me laugh, but once again, we are in family housing.  I told Derrick I wouldn't do it. I want more space, a washer and dryer, and large kitchen. I found the place I thought was perfect. Then, we got an offer for family housing at UVA.  After much prayer, and careful consideration, we chose family housing.  It's not what I demanded.. but truth is it's growing on me.


Truth 4: College is hard work:
        I now have a full year under my belt.  I LOVE IT!  It's hard, engaging, and sometimes stressful. I have missed structured learning and how it challenges me to stay focused. Truth is, I might go for a PhD.


Truth 5:  Being happy is a choice:
       Life has thrown us a few curve balls over the past 6 months. As law school starts in a couple weeks, I expect plenty more. But I choose to be happy.  Some days it a hard choice, and it's only achieved at the end of the day when my head hits the pillow. Truth is, I am happy.

Truth is life is good.  :)