At laaaasssttt...!

Ok, ok, I'm back! Sorry it's been so long, but can you blame me!? My sweet lover boy came home from ID, then temple wedding, then reception, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, then packing, packing, packing, then driving, driving, driving, then unpacking, unpacking, unpacking. In a word: MADNeSS! BUT, now I'm back and better than ever! I am Mrs. Irwin now and finally moved into our new apartment in Rexburg, Idaho. I'm debating whether I should go back in time and fill you in on the wedding and reception and the trip, or if I should just pick up here... Comments? For now, I will start here and then maybe have some flashbacks later!

Right now, I am sitting in our brand new bedroom, barely coherent as I have been in and out of it with food poisoning for the past 24 hours. It was either Taco Bell or my homemade waffles.... I vote Taco Bell for sure. It's strange though, because I got sick 13 hours after eating it and Kevin didn't get sick until like 24 hours after eating it... Which leads me to think it may have been waffles... Strangely, I'm pretty glad Kevin also got sick, since we were worried that it was morning sickness and we are SO not ready yet. I know the original plan was to get married the 22nd and be pregnant the 23rd, but we've done some thinking and decided we better get on our feet first. So, when I suddenly started throwing up uncontrollably for no reason, the panic set in. A few hours later, Kevin also started feeling sick, though, so we are a bit more at ease. Anyway, on the 9th our fears will (hopefully) be placated. I decided I better update everyone on what is going on here!

Today is the warmest day since we got here! It is a whole 19 degrees outside, which is a big step up from the 8 or 9 it's been every day. Apparently, they got more snow here recently than normal. Must be my official welcome! So far, though, I've driven in the snow almost daily, and although I've fishtailed a bit, no major fumbles! I am pretty excited to be here. I still wake up every morning and look out the bedroom window at the beautiful Rexburg temple up on the hill directly in front of my window. What an incredible blessing to have a constant reminder of our beautiful marriage covenants and the wonderful source of strength that our faith and beliefs bring us right out our bedroom window!

So far, our whole house is almost completely furnished! The living room is definitely my favorite room right now. We have our black and grey contemporary rug with a black faux leather futon, black and silver end tables, and a black and glass and chrome entertainment center with my 50" flat screen! We also got way cool black and white curtains and cool silver flower wall deco thingies! We have a couple of frames up with our white and asian family's pictures in them ;) Guess we should put real pictures in those, huh? Oh yeah, did I mention we have surround sound, too!? Eventually, we plan on buying some pillows and lamps and stuff, but we refuse to spend any more money until both of our jobs are stable and paying out.

The kitchen is lovely! Thank you for all of the marvelous wedding gifts! It's amazing to be able to open our cabinets and see all sorts of beautiful (and practical) homemaking tools! We've already used the sandwich maker, quesadilla maker, waffle maker, and the blender! Not to mention the mixing bowls, cookie sheets, cooling racks, glasses, plates! So much stuff and it's so nice to be off to such a wonderful wedded start! The kitchen itself has beautiful tile floor and tons of cabinet and counter top space! For the record, with all the stuff we got and I insisted HAD to come to Idaho, we still have plenty of space and the apartment is not at all cluttered ;) We did our first big grocery trip and spent under $200 which I think is good since we had to buy trashcans and a broom and detergent and stuff. Alot of that stuff won't need to be replenished regularly, so I'm confident that we'll be able to afford regular grocery trips.

Yesterday, while I was on the edge of death, our dining room set was delivered! It's a beautiful espresso brown table with 4 matching cushioned chairs! We found it on Craigslist (which is where we've been getting most of our stuff) for $160 including the delivery fee! It was nice to wake up to a new dining room!!! We don't really have anything decorating the dining room yet except a clock on the wall, but I plan on doing a deconstructed collage of the Rexburg temple in black and white in the 10 frame set the Daytons got us as a wedding gift! I just need to get up the hill to the temple and take the pictures! We also need some place mats and a centerpiece for the table, but again, we need to get some money flowing in before we get those things!

The bedroom is pretty bare right now and actually kind of depressing. We have my beautiful cherry wood 4 post bed with a lovely white comforter with turquoise and brown flowers on it and... that's it! We need some nightstands and a dresser, but that will come with time! I do have some frames that I plan on hanging up in here, but I need to put something in them. Pretty sure I'm going to put "The Living Christ" and "The Family: A Proclamation To the World" in them :)! Other than that, the room is pretty depressing, but it is a work in progress!

The bathroom is probably the most complete room in the house. We have everything we could possibly need in there. From coordinating towels, shower curtain ,and a bath rug to a brand new shower head and matching toothbrush holder and soap pump! It's a really bright and cute room! Of course, being the decorator that I am , there are tons of things I could add to the room, but nothing necessary!

The apartment itself is in the 3rd floor of Stonebrook Apartments! We have a covered parking space (so helpful in snowy Idaho) and covered stairwell to the apartments! Kevin has space downstairs to keep his bike and the clubhouse has a 24-hour gym, hot tub, and a theater room, pool table, kitchen, and ping pong table! The complex is really nice and the people we've met so far are, too! Everyone in our stairwell has a wreath and a  welcome mat (and of course we do too!)

Okay, I think I've way out done myself! I need to lay down and possibly try to eat something! I will have pictures up as soon as I have enough energy to walk around! Hope to hear some feedback on whether you want the flashback posts or not :)

Snow, HALT!

No. More. Snow! You are ruining EVERYTHiNG! Doctor's appointment for birth control, cancelled. Cleaning out storage, cancelled. Packing storage, cancelled. Making trees, cancelled. Cleaning out car, cance... Well, I guess I CoUlD do that (if I wanted to...) and if Kevin's flight tomorrow gets cancelled or delayed due to snow, I am going to throw a fit!!

So, what have I been doing all day yesterday and today if not what I was supposed to be doing!? Well, I cleaned and finished packing my bathroom, and started to declutter my bedroom. Today, I am going to finish decluttering my bedroom, pack my bedroom, clean out my car, and make bows for the wedding! Sounds busy, I better get started! More later...

P.S. Feel free to come help :)

Behind already :/

How on Earth am I behind already, you ask? Hmm... Let's see... Of all of the things I was supposed to do today, I finished.... NONE! Ugh! My dad was behind schedule and therefore, I couldn't do anything I was supposed to do today! Instead, I did get other things done! I packed my room and only left out what I'll be using for the next couple of weeks, I packed my bathroom, I finished my laundry, I cleaned my room, and we did finish our Temple Prep classes yesterday! I also went to Target and exchanged a couple of things, bought our thank you cards and pretty clothes for our honeymoon ;) So, all in all, although I am going out of order, I AM getting things done!

Today was a weird day. In case you've missed it, I am crazy about to-do lists and schedules. Today, the worst case scenario actually happened. My dad missed our appointment to clean out the storage unit, so I went and it turns out I can't move anything because it's all packed in there so tight. I need a couple of big, strong men to move some heavy furniture around. Then, I was going to decorate Waverly, but my dad was having dinner with the missionaries at the same time that we were supposed to be decorating... I do love him dearly, but he needs a personal assistant to keep him straight. So now, it looks like we've rescheduled for Thursday morning! So, after waiting a while in the cold, I drove home. When I got home, Regina helped me clean/pack my room and bathroom and fold/hang my laundry! It's so nice to have help and company on such boring tasks :) After we finished, we waited on Dad Irwin to finish installing a thermostat and we left for Target! Yesterday, I got a gift in the mail from Bro. and Sis. Gruber, and when I opened it (a 17-piece Pyrex set!), I noticed one of the bowls was cracked, so I took it to Target to exchange it and went ahead and bought some other stuff I needed (see? PRO-duuuuuuuh-ctive!) Then, we went to dinner at Chic-Fil-A and caught the next ferry back!

On the way there, my best friend, Catherine, called with bad news... She can't make it to D.C. for the wedding :'(! I'm super bummed out because she is my absolute best friend in the whole wide world! It's hard to imagine my wedding day without her by my side, and although I can think of alternate solutions to get her to D.C. without  invalidating her perfectly good reasons, I will let her make her move. At least I will have my mom and grandma with me on that special day!

That special day... hmmm... I can't believe this is really happening to me! In just 8 days, I will be going to the temple to be sealed for time and eternity to the love of my life, Kevin Andrew Irwin! It is so surreal that this is really happening! I have always dreamed of getting married and living happily ever after and here it is!!! I have very little to get done on wedding stuff besides taking care of myself! Mostly, now, I just have to worry  about packing! I am so excited, and barely nervous!

Well, now that I've blogged my little heart out, I'm going to go write to Jeff (Kevin's missionary baby brother), and then hit the sack!

Adios :)!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It's snowing!! LOTS! I woke up this morning, and just like any other morning, checked my text messages and emails, and hopped on Facebook (don't judge me!). I started seeing people's status updates about snow... Hmm..? Seeing as I have several friends all over the country, I started analyzing their geographical locations around the map... It wasn't until I got down to my neighbor that I thought to look outside, and sho'nuff, it is white as can be outside! I love it! I guess I better get used to it, huh?

So, it works out that I don't want to leave the house now, because today is a stay at home day according to my weekly task-list! I have so much to get done this week! Last night, Kevin and I figured out exactly what we were taking to ID and what we were leaving behind in the storage unit! I plan on posting a separate blog to list the things we are getting rid of, but I'll go ahead and list them. If you'll come haul it, it's yours for FREE! A queen sized box spring and mattress, mismatched dishes, a couple of pots and pans, a baker's rack, and mismatched glasses. I will be going that way in the next couple of days and everything is getting donated to the DAV, so speak now! WE have pretty much figured out how much stuff we're going to take out there, so now I just have to go sort the storage unit... in the cold... Sounds like fun, right?

As far as the house goes, I could probably have it packed in a couple of days, like today and tomorrow, but I have NO motivation! Being home alone is nice for blogging and watching movies, but not for packing and cleaning! I have had a fairly productive day already, though. I have a load of dishes in the dishwasher and a load of clothes in the washer! At the risk of boring you all to death, I am going to post my task-list on here in hopes that I'll stay on-track since I'll be held accountable by you guys!:

MON 12/13:
-do ALL laundry
-pack bedroom
-pack bedroom
-finish Temple Prep classes

TUE 12/14:
-Move piano
-Get rid of storage stuff
-Decorate Waverly restaurant

WED 12/15:
-Pack and organize storage
-Temple Rec. Interview @ Stake Center

THU 12/16:
-Finish packing home
-Doctor @325pm
-Buy: thank you cards, Christmas lights, and pretty clothes for the honeymoon :)

FRI 12/17:
-Finish creating winter wonderland trees
-Catch up on unfinished tasks
-Pay car off!

SAT 12/18:
-CLEAN!!!

...and, oh yeah... KEViN COMES HOME!!! I am so excited to have my snuffleupagus back home with me! I have missed him sooooo much! He has now been gone over 3 months and I miss him terribly! I can't wait 5 more days! We get married next week, and after a really hectic week following the wedding, hit the road for IDAHO! Woooo-Hooo!

Guess I should get started on my daily to-do, so I don't get screamed at by my blog-followers! Ta-ta for now!

MmMmMm... Hot cocoa =)

Hello there! I have returned! My room is clean, my daily to-do list is completed, the parents are out on date night, it's raining outside, and I have a steaming mug of fragrant, delicious hot chocolate(with real marshmallows!) as I sit at the computer! It's actually quite a temptation, that mug... I really just want to sit in front of the fireplace with my hot chocolate and stare into the flames (or the tv) for hours on end. I, however, owe you an update!

Last time we talked, I had to go clean my room. Since then, I've:
-attended my baby brother's Christmas program at school (soooo cute!)
-actually cleaned my room!
-watched Eclipse (it was TERRIBLE!!!)
-babysat my precious Althea (well, really just supervised Monica while SHE babysat Althea)
-lost my $300 4th generation Ipod touch
-and... drumroll please... GOT A PERM!

YEP, I finally did it! I got a curly CuRLy perm today! It is SO cute! Although I smell terrible (the perm, not I), I am really pleased with the end result! Perhaps I'll attach a picture sometime soon when I don't look a hot mess! I am so thrilled to have super duper curly shirley hair! I figured in order to pull off two days of wedding celebrations, I was going to have to figure out how to style my own hair, and since it was in a terrible in-between super-short and kinda-short phase, I decided to go curly! Now, I can just put some product in it and voila! It's uber cute!!!

Oh yeah, about that Ipod... I am so mad at myself for losing it! I had it on Tuesday when I went out with my dad. I remember the last time I saw it, and then I got out of his truck in a hurry. I remember throwing stuff in my car and thinking that I should put some of it up front, but I decided against it! It was days before I even realized I needed it. I could do without the music and everything, but Kevin and I use it to talk to eachother on Facetime. That means we can see eachother face-to-face with it, and without it, I can't see him.... That's the part that really upsets me! I understand that he comes home in a week, and if it's lost, it was well worth the $300 to be able to talk to him face-to-face (technically) for a month, but it was still tons of money and I'd like it back :'(! I'm holding out hope that it's in either my dad's truck or mine, and that I'll find it the next time I look for it! Cross your fingers for me!

So, an Idaho update! I just got off the phone with my dearest Kevin, and he just left our new apartment! He said it looks brand-spankin' new! He said everything looks like it was just built/installed and that the apartment itself is beautiful! Big kitchen/dining room, big bathrom, decent sized bedroom, and he said the living room will fit our entertainment center, 50" flat screen, a couch, and a chair! Ready for the best part!? WE CAN SEE THE TEMPLE FROM OUR BEDROOM WINDOW! Aaaahhh!!! How cool is that!?! To be able to look out our window and see such a beautiful sight! It must be such a refreshing thing to look at from such an important room in our home :) I am so excited! I wish I could close my eyes and wake up and be in Idaho! Past the wedding, and past the trip, and way past the packing! Such is life....

Well, now you know what's going on, so I am going to go start packing... Fun, right!?

I am flawed :)

Yes, it's true! I'm not perfect, so lower the bar a bit will ya? I'm a little overwhelmed!

Recently, three different friends mentioned that they thought I was so "perfect". One of them even mentioned how jealous she was at the life I lead... This really upset me! Not so much because I mind being told I'm a role model, but because I don't want to feel like everything I do is going to make her look bad. I mean, it's not a competition! I'm not trying to be a better wife and potential mother than her or anything! So, I decided to sit down and really think about my flaws and point them out!

Flaw #1 and perhaps the biggest one: I am a S.L.O.B.! Like, not just your ordinary slob, but like MASSiVE slob! I will let my room get to bio hazardous levels before cleaning it! I have been known to go sleep on the couch because I can't sleep in such a messy environment! I HATE cleaning! I can cook all you want, but when it comes to cleaning up after myself, it's like torture! Any space that is shared space is safe. For example, here at the Irwins, I may leave a dish or two in the sink (although I do my part when it comes to loading and unloading the dishwasher), but I never leave a mess in any part of the house besides my space. The keyword in that was "leave", not to say I don't "make" a mess, I just never "leave" it there! My bathroom is usually pretty safe. It is not always CLEAN, but it is organized. Could I use the toilet brush a bit more often? Yep! Could I scrub the tub a lot more often? YES! How about windexing the mirror? Oh yeah! But basic stuff, like making sure it looks sanitary and having a clean sink and towel, I can do! Also, I have all of my bathroom stuff (hair stuff, lotions, makeup, first aid) categorized into little plastic totes in my drawers, so everything is usually in its place. Lately though, I've been making a mess in there, too! I'll tell you what my downfall is: CLOTHES. EVERYWHERE! I don't understand it! My room is covered in clothes. Clean clothes at that! I HATE folding and hanging! I remember Catherine used to come over when I lived in Smithfield and I would wash allllll of my clothes and she would help me fold and hang them! Maybe it's because I wait soooo long to do laundry, so by the time I do it, I have 4 loads to do! Perhaps if I did laundry more regularly, it wouldn't be such a chore to wash, dry, fold/hang... There's a thought! SO, I take my clothes upstairs in a hamper and they stay there and eventually I have to dig through it to get something and clothes end up all over the floor! Not only that, but when I take my clothes off at the end of the night, wherever I'm standing is where they end up, a la Time Traveler's Wife! (anyone who's seen that knows what I mean) I am so sick and tired of being a slob, but have no idea how to combat it in the bedroom! In the bathroom, my organizational totes worked, but now what to do!?

Flaw#2: I am a drama queen. I can take the smallest, most insignificant comment and turn it into the next world war! This is something I've recently learned about myself! It's not that I make things up and way over-exaggerate, I just take things too personally and end up looking way too much into things! So, by the time I'm venting (usually to Kevin, Catherine, or Regina) I have already worked it out in my mind that it's the end of the world. The problem with this is by the time it gets to them, they no longer have the opportunity to calm me down and change my mind because I am set on what I believe is what is happening. How to overcome this? Stop being so super stressed and thinking the world is out to get me. Is this an feasible task right this second? You try planning a wedding and a cross-country move and when you figure out how not to be super stressed, let me know!

Flaw#3: Although I am great at multi-tasking, I am terrible at prioritizing. For example, I am blogging. Just a second ago, I mentioned that I am a slob and my room is bio hazardous, and yet, I'm blogging about it rather than cleaning it. I do not prioritize well. I put my blinders on and set myself on one project and forget about the rest of my life. For right now, my project is wedding, so even though a bag lady wouldn't even live in my room, I am more concerned with finishing centerpieces. The problem? All wedding things that I'm in charge of are done except our Saturday project. Since today is not Saturday, I do not have anything wedding to do today. Granted, I need to figure out my hair and makeup, but is that really more important than having a clean room? No. So, here I go... I'll be back later!

Goodness gracious, great balls of...

STRESS! AAAhhh! Will blog later. I haven't forgottem you dearies, but I Must MUst MUST get things crossed off the wedding to-do list! Byebye for now!