Spendloves

Update in pictures.

2011-10-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

{dad ran Top of Utah Marathon, Al on his Dad's motorcycle with Jade,

Al turned 24, we went to a Uintah High football game in Vernal}

{boys before priesthood session, watched USU lose to BYU (we'll never recover),

went to the Rocket Summer concert, girls before girls night during priesthood session}

We went to Jackson.

2011-08-29T16:16:00.001-07:00

We had the funnest family vacation last week in Jackson Hole. Yes, it was ridiculously fun. Yes, we played very hard. And yes, we are all struggling being home after a week of near perfection.

Jackson, you sure were good to us, and for that I thank you.

Now, back to school for Al and job hunting for me.

Wish us luck. XO.

{PS-If you know anyone that needs/wants a relatively inexpensive website, send them my way. I am good.}

Just some things.

2011-08-11T19:24:00.001-07:00

Here are some things going on in our lives right now:

{Us at a service project for church}

I finished my master's degree in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at USU.
I have only been to the pool one time this whole summer... pathetic.
We celebrated our two year anniversary last weekend.
Alex is starting his master's degree in School Counseling at USU this fall.
I had my last day of work at the USU Admissions Office (love and will miss that office like crazy).
Alex is turning 24 in a couple weeks.
I am working as a web designer for a couple of companies (if you know of anyone who needs a website, send them my way).
Alex is working at Conservice and loving it.
Alex is very excited for football season to start.
We are going to Jackson Hole one week from Sunday and we are SO excited.

That is us. We hope you are all doing well!

Blog-worthy

2011-08-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

Guys, I know I never write on this blog anymore... it's my last priority. There is very little happening that is blog-worthy right now.

Except that this weekend is mine and Alex's two year anniversary. And that is a big deal.

Happy anniversary Alex. Sure love you.

PS Liz and I have started writing another blog that is starting to gain a little following. It is girly and we do it mostly anonymously, but it gets updated a lot. If you want to read it just leave a comment or email me at samfspendlove@gmail.com and I will send you the link.

4th of July

2011-07-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

We were so excited for the 4th of July weekend in Idaho (the highlight of our summer), and we were not disappointed.

Here are some scenes from our weekend.

We loved seeing lots of our cute family, playing in the sun, eating good food, and celebrating the 4th of July.

Hope you had fun too!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

We went to Vernal for Memorial Day Weekend and had such a fun time. Here are some highlights:

Shot my first gun and hit the target on the first try. So cool.

Did some hiking, even though there were "Bear Country" signs at the beginning of the trail. Not super comforting.

Had dinner and saw Pirates 4 with the family.

Went to church and loved us some sunny weather.

We loved our long weekend, spending time with family and having fuuunnnn. Thanks Jodie for taking care of us while we were there.

XOXO.

change

2011-05-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Liz and Adam graduated and we are so proud of them! They have worked so hard and we love them. And look how cute they looked:

It was so fun to have the whole family there to celebrate with them.

We are getting ready for lots of changes in our life soon (no babies, though). Alex is starting graduate school in the fall, I finish my program in August and will have to find a real job and actually be an adult, we are thinking its time to buy a house, I need to buy a new car ASAP, and all these other crazy grown-up things.

We are kinda freaking. So any advice for growing up will be very well received!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

2011-03-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

We went on a little cruise for spring break and had such a great time. The week had the recipe for a successful vacation: friends/family, adventure, excitement, relaxation, sunshine, and good food.

We got to see our cute friends Michelle and Kade in St. George and spent some time with Alex's brother Jeff and his girlfriend Desiree in San Diego.

Then it was on to sailing the seas.

There were major sunburns, gay men conventions, horseback-riding mishaps (bucking and galloping), stomach sickness, and tsunami warnings, but we made it home and have only happy memories.

winter pics.

2011-02-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting our pictures taken in the snow so badly because it seems like that is how the majority of our life is lived here in Logan.

So we finally talked bro-in-law Ad, who is all of a sudden this AMAZING photographer, into taking a few pics for us, and they turned out perfect.
Thanks Ad! You are the best.

And for more pictures by Ad, check out his blog here.
You will not regret it.

you know how I feel about weekends.

2011-01-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

This picture sums up a good portion of our weekend.

In other words, it was good.

Real good.

i love weekends.

2011-01-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

I keep finding myself reveling in the joy of this weekend. It was so delightful, and I will tell you why.

I made and ate lots of cookies.

Homemade Oreos...Yummmmmmmmmmm

I got three pairs of jeans for me + three shirts for Alex for $34.91. Didn't take pics, but talk about a deal, right?

We saw Megamind at the cheap theater, which was so freakin' good.

Us waiting in the parking lot before the movie started because we got there way early (just can't resist those dang Coca-cola bottles when I see them at the store...).

On top of all that, we had an awesome Texas Roadhouse meal, we relaxed, watched football/cake shows, and really enjoyed spending time together.

Hope you had a great weekend, too. Really.

attention friends/family.

2011-01-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

Dear friends/family who have blogs,

Please resolve to blog more in 2011 so that I {Sam} can

a) know what is going on in your lives, and
b) have some good reading for slow days at work.

Write on Sundays in place of journal writing or something. Its easy. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Sam

2011: Park City style.

2011-01-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

We went to Park City with Liz and Ad for New Years, and it was most def my favorite New Years celebration ever.

Even though is was negative degrees, we braved the cold and had a lovely dinner to kick of the party.

After dinner we played in our room, where Liz and I did a puzzle (yes that is the Nauvoo temple... we are wild) and Ad and Al played XBox. Seriously... we are crazy.
We watched a movie and then participated with Dick Clark in the countdown to 2011.

The next day we shopped and ate and watched football.
Thanks Liz and Ad for being so much fun.
Happy New Year!

Christmas.

2010-12-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas weekend came and went, and was so dang fun. It started off with a party with the cutest friends.

The rest of the weekend was spent with these guys, my favorites. We watched movies galore, ate tons of amazing food, opened presents, played Wii/XBox, and laughed and laughed and laughed.

Merry merry merry merry Christmas to all of you. We hope you have a fantastic New Year.

pre-Christmas weekend.

2010-12-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

Can I just say that I love not having school right now? It is so great to come home from work and be able to do whatever I want... like read or sew or bake or watch Christmas movies or anything I want. I'm lovin' it.

We went home for our first Christmas celebration last weekend. Since Devin and Christi will be heading to California this week, we had to do our annual name-drawing gift exchange early (we usually do it on Christmas Eve). It was fun fun fun and so great to have everyone together. I also helped my mom shop and wrap presents, and we made these darling rock/paper magnets. The grand finale was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and David Archuleta concert with Mom, Jer and Liz. It was wonderful. And I loved it.

We are so excited for this weekend, and hope everyone has a very merry Christmas!

babysittin

2010-12-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

We got to babysit our sweet niece Jade on Saturday.

And whenever I would lean my face close to hers,

this would happen:

I love that baby.

thanksgiving.

2010-11-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely lovely Thanksgiving.

Our trips to and from Vernal were disrupted by snow and blizzards and snow and blizzards,

so I am very THANKFUL that we were able to be safe.

{our little family before our feast: Jodie, George, Al, me}

{Me and Al at the Vernal "Holly Days" Festival of Trees}

Thank you Jodie for having us.

Thank you George, Jared, Jaylene, and Jade for entertaining us.

Thank you Vernal for hosting us.

Can I also add that that my husband rocks?

Thank you Alex for everything that you are.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

early birthday

2010-11-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

My birthday is usually overshadowed by Thanksgiving.

And since this year we will be in Vernal with Alex's family for the holiday,

we decided to celebrate a week early with my parents.

{Opening presents from Mom and Dad on Saturday morn.}

{The prettiest Nativity set. So happy.}

{Dairy Queen ice cream cake and Alex. Yum yum yum.}

{Helped Mom set up her Christmas tree. Fun and pretty.}

Thanks Alex, Mom, and Dad for the best early birthday ever.

craftin.

2010-11-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

I had a cute little craft night with some friends from my ward.

{Natalie, Nikelle, Sam, Birgitte...I had so much fun with these girls}

We made holiday blocks.

Talk about easy.

AND they are double-sided for optimal and frequent use.

Thoughts?

kindness for kailie.

2010-11-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

Kailie Jones Browning passed away unexpectedly at McKaydee Hospital in the ICU Oct. 12, 2010 due to complications from a routine surgery. She left behind a 6 month old girl, Bentley, and a loving spouse, Devin. Unfortunately Kailie and Devin didn’t have any life insurance.

There will be a silent auction on Dec. 4th at the Davis Conference Center located at 800 Heritage Park Boulevard in Layton from Noon to 2:00p.m. to raise money for the "Kindness for Kailie and Bentley" fund to help this young family try to get back on their feet.

If you would like to make a donation of any kind for the silent auction or directly to the fund, donations of any size would be appreciated.

Monetary donations can be made to the "Kindness for Kailie and Bentley” fund at all America First Credit Unions or you can go to www.kindnessforkailie.com.

Silent auction donations--Please contact Tammy at 801-663-6893 or Cassie at 801-529-7923

To find out more about Kailie go to www.kindnessforkailie.com

not fair.

2010-11-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

its just not fair that people, like my sister, can be here and enjoying this:

while i am here and suffering this (notice the snow covered field in the background):

boo.

great weekend.

2010-10-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun weekend.

First, dinner with my parents where we captured this gorgeous sunset

Second, Halloween party where we dressed like this,

got to play with these guys,

and couldn't get enough of this pretty girl.

I hope your weekend was great, too!

pumpkin fudge.

2010-10-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

I am OBSESSED with pumpkin treats in the fall/winter.
I have made pumpkin cookies, bread, and cheesecake.
And now, I have made pumpkin fudge.

If you love pumpkin like I do,
then make this fudge.
You will NOT regret it.

Stir together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat:
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil,
then continue boiling for 10-12 minutes (stirring constantly)

Remove pan from heat and add:
12 ounce bag of white chocolate chips
Jar of marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chopped pecans (optional)

Stir until well blended

Quickly pour into greased aluminum foil lined pan (9x9-ish)

Cool. Cut.

Eat.

Enjoy.
I certainly did :)

Pumpkins.

2010-10-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

We are getting pumped for Halloween

So we had a pumpkin night.

I painted my pumpkin...

and Alex carved his pumpkin...

And we had lots of fun.

fall break.

2010-10-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

It was Fall Break this weekend.

We went to Park City for a couple of nights and enjoyed ourselves. A lot.

{outside our bargain condo. $50/night. totally nice}

{shopping at the outlets}

{such a GORG day in Park City}

{Main Street}

{me-Butterfinger caramel apple, Al-almond caramel apple...delish}

So needed. So fun. So sad its over.

vernal.

2010-10-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

We went to Vernal for part of the weekend.

Have you driven there? It's kinda rough.

Usually the drive looks a lot like this:

{real pretty, right?}

But this time we were lucky and saw a lot of this:

Thank you, fall season, for making the drive to Vernal bearable.

Love, Alex and Sam

jammin.

2010-09-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

I know that no one really cares that I made lots of jam last night, but I am excited about it, so I must share.

I got a killer deal on raspberries ($8 for an entire crate!) and peaches (i don't remember how much), so I made enough jam to get us through the winter.

Raspberry, peach-raspberry, and peach.

Fun and delicious.

weekend.

2010-09-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

We had such fun with these guys last weekend.
How will we ever top it?

Suggestions are welcome.
Have a great weekend!

hair.

2010-09-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

I am 100% aware that this is not the prettiest picture...

...but I just wanted you to know that I cut my hair.

happy birthday.

2010-08-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

It's my sweet husband Alex's birthday today.
And I love him.

Happy birthday Alex.
I am SO glad you were born.

hair.

2010-08-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am polling the world and I need YOUR help making an extremely important decision:

Should I cut my hair?
Or should I keep growing my hair?

I know my hair will never look like my cousin Tami's or Katelyn's.
But do I have too round of a face for short hair?
Will I miss being able to put my hair in a pony tail every day?
Or would I be so happy with my cute short hair style that it would be worth it?

Please leave your comments. Feel free to include such details as how short I should cut, what colors I should put it my hair, post links of cute styles, etc.

Also, if for some reason, your blog link has been deleted from my friends/family list,
it is because I accidentally deleted all of them when I redesigned my blog
and I am stupid.
But please don't let that stop you from commenting, because then I can add your blog to my list.

Thank you.

anniversary.

2010-08-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

Married one year ago Saturday...

love you, Al

my mom.

2010-07-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

I want to be just like my mom someday.

She is the prettiest, kindest, most tender person I have ever known.

And I love her.

Today is her birthday.

I won't tell you how old she is, but she may or may not officially be "over the hill."

I think she looks about 35 years old.

Happy Birthday Mom.

You. Are. The. Best.

{cute mom sitting by her birthday present family picture and wall decoration}

bust...but not totally.

2010-07-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

After planning and planning and planning for a Cherry Hill fun-filled weekend,

everything went completely wrong:

We wanted to camp.

That didn't work out.

We wanted to ride water slides and float the lazy river.

That didn't work out.

We wanted good weather.

That didn't work out.

So instead, we set up camp in the parents' backyard.

We celebrated Ad's birthday.

We sat around the fire and ate s'mores.

And we went to trusty Surf N' Swim.

I am still yearning for a Cherry Hill day,

but this worked out just fine :)

family pictures.

2010-06-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

We had family pictures yesterday for the first time in AGES.

Our last time having professional pictures taken of us, aside from weddings,

was probably in 1997.

I think we have all blossomed since then.

Here are some of my favorites.

I love my family very much, and think they are all very pretty/handsome.

{photos courtesy of Jared Hackett...who rocks}

my dad.

2010-06-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

My dad is SO cool.

Almost 53 years old (sorry for telling)...

...and he just keeps getting better and better all the time.

Friday night he stayed with us before

running the Bear Lake Half Marathon on Saturday.

Here he is Carbo-Loading.

Alex was there for moral support.

Here he is running as fast as sound to the finish line.

Here we are with him only 1:52 minutes after the race began.

My dad is SO cool.

And we love him SO much.

This is my family.

2010-06-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is us at the Salt Lake Temple.
Each and every one of us.

Together.

Perfection.

my style.

2010-05-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

We've got our tent.
We've got our sleeping bags. We've got our air mattress.
We've got s'mores.
CAMP OUT {In the living room}!
This is my style of camping.

If I get uncomfortable, I can get in my real bed.
If I get hungry, I will get something from the kitchen.
If I get cold, I will check the thermostat.
If I want to shower, I will march upstairs and jump in.

So ideal.
Baby steps to the real thing.
You understand.

introduced.

2010-05-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband Alex (best friend #1) and my awesome brother Jeremy (best friend #2) met each other for the first time last weekend.

They must have been friends in the pre-existence.
I think they will get along just fine.

USU Class of 2010

2010-05-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it! I am officially a graduate of Utah State University (hail the Utah Aggies!!!!), I officially have a bachelors degree (holler, Speech Comm), and I am officially ready to be a graduate student (after a summer of recovery).

In case you were wondering, this is how cute I looked under the cap and gown. Thanks mom for the cutest shoes ever.

Congratulations all you other graduates!

And...

GO AGGIES.

2010-05-06T09:43:00.001-07:00

Done.

Just thought you should know :)

facts.

2010-05-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Finals week is now.

Graduation is on Saturday.
Jeremy comes home in 16 days.
I got accepted to graduate school.
Summer weather is going to come someday.

We are happy.
Life is good.

i {heart} ambassadors

2010-04-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have loved being an Ambassador at Utah State for the last four years.

I genuinely believe it made my college experience.

I have never looked up to so many people, made so many friends, and had so many people taking care of me.

We had our end-of-year banquet on Tuesday--my last banquet as one of them.

{me and alex}

{some favorites: Lee-la and Petra)

{cabinet}

{some of the freshmen}

{my BFF's: Sarah and Amy}

I will always look back with so many amazing memories with all of these people.

Love you forever Ambassadors.

just in case.

2010-04-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering...

1. Freddy, our fish, is still alive.

2. Alex challenged me to do an "absolutely no sweets" challenge until Graduation.
If I make it, he spends $50 on clothes. For me.
I have made it 2 whole days already.
AND I even turned down free Hamilton's cheesecake or chocolate cake or creme brulee.

3. I graduate in 18 days.
BRING IT ON.

idaho.

2010-04-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed a lovely visit to Idaho with my parents over the weekend. I sure missed Alex, but had a great time with my Mom and Dad.
I got to spend a little bit of time with my sweet Nef grandparents (who I want to be just like someday).I got my hair done by my favorite hair dresser, cousin, and former roommate, Katelyn.And most importantly, I got to see this guy, my Grandpa Redder, who I love so much.Of course we had to stop at DQ because, if you were wondering, the one in Burley makes the best Blizzards of any DQ in the country.Mom and Dad: You are delightful and I love you. Thanks for taking me along for the ride!

weekend.

2010-04-05T11:07:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter!

We played with this precious angel:

...our new niece Jade Couture Hackett, who is just two weeks old now.

{Alex and Jade}

{Sam and Jade}

We watched a lot of conference and played a lot of Wii with these guys:

We love our family and we love an excuse to get each other presents and candy.

I think now I can make it through the rest of the semester.

Here we go.

our new addition.

2010-03-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

To help prepare us for parenthood in the not-so-near future, we have added to our family!

Meet Frederick Batman Spendlove (aka. Fred, Freddy, little Fella):

Frederick is our new little beta fish. Isn't he cute?

And he has the cutest fish bowl, ever.

Dear Freddy: We hope you like us as much as we like you. I know a lot of fishies don't live very long, but we would like if you stuck around for a while. XOXO

finally.

2010-03-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

I am so ashamed to say this, but Al and I attended our first Aggie game this year last night.

Yes, we waited until the last home game to go.

Yes, it is my senior year.

Yes, it was a blast.

Yes, I regret not going to more.

Yes, we won. Big time.

Good thing we went an hour early so we could get a seat. It was a great game and so fun to go with each other for the first time.

GO AGGIES!

ode.

2010-03-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

I work in the Admission's Office, where I share an office with a Mrs. Breea Heiner.

I LOVE HER

The bad news is tomorrow is her last day at work.

I AM SO SAD/MAD

Nonetheless, I want Breea to know that I will miss her so much, that she has made my work life very enjoyable, and I hope she thoroughly enjoys her new life in Colorado...

...but one thing Breea--please don't forget all of the people who will still be here, missing you all the time, including me.

{Sam, Breea, Kaylee}

yummm.

2010-03-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

One day while watching Unwrapped on the Food Network, Alex and I learned the details of how Krispy Kreme makes their doughnuts.

That's when I learned one of the saddest things about my husband: he had never experienced the delicacy that is a hot Krispy Kreme doughnut.

I took care of that real fast.

Last weekend we were in Layton, and after having dinner with my dad, we scurried to Krispy Kreme in hopes that the Hot Light would be glowing in the night. And it was.

And we ate. And we loved. And we laughed.

{mmm... mmm... mm mm mm}

I think his life now feels complete. I am glad I could share that moment with you Al. Loves.

a must see.

2010-02-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

2.19.2010

Utah Jazz vs. Golden State Warriors

And who sang the National Anthem at the game???

Just in case you missed it, my brother Jeremy was in the very center of that sweet missionary choir.

Now, how many Jazz fans do you know that get to sing the National Anthem at a game while on their mission?

Awesome.

thank goodness.

2010-02-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

TGIF...

... ya know what I mean?

Ugh.

2010-01-31T19:07:00.000-08:00

I love waking up to this:

And having to scrape off all of this:

And having to walk around in this:

It's a good thing I love Logan a lot.

Days like this are hard.

Power.

2010-01-27T19:39:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of these bracelets?!

This little bracelet with its magical powers is supposed to improve your power, balance, flexibility, and strength.

And they are SO cool. Our friends Kade and Michelle are total believers, and the second Kade showed us the balance and strength tests, we were on the internet ordering our own.

Maybe we are major suckers. Or maybe its the biggest thing since the internet.

If you don't believe it, watch the tests here.

Or, watch Shaq's testimonial here.

Or, come find me and I will show you the tests, and then you will believe.

work.

2010-01-24T17:10:00.001-08:00

I don't have anything of real value to blog about right now, but I like to blog. So, I think of pointless things to share.

This is my new desk at work. Remember, I am the intern. So, the fact that I have a desk at all is a total blessing.

This is how it looks from time to time.

I am 100% a product of my environment, my past, and my family.

I am who I am.

So that's that.

talented.

2010-01-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

Meet Brady Mathews:

Brady is one of my best friends that I have made while I have been in college, and he is extremely, extremely, extremely talented.

Case in point: the wedding present he gave me tonight (I don't care that it was almost 6 months late... It was worth it)

So pretty, right? And, not only are they gorgeous paintings, but they have some serious meaning behind them (seven cotton blossoms because Alex and I were married on the seventh day of August)!

Finally, our bedroom has some personality. Thank you, thank you, thank you Brade. I owe you forever. You are the best!

love.

2010-01-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

My dear sweet husband Alex sent me an email the other day that simply said "I love you."

Isn't he so sweet?

Then I noticed the picture that was attached.

Yes, that is how the area in front of my closet looked all last week.

But whatever.

My husband loves me :)

spendloves.

2010-01-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

While we were in Cali for Thanksgiving (ok, so this blog is WAY overdue) we had Spendlove--or more specifically, DiNapoli, Hackett, Spendlove--family pictures in beautiful Newport Beach.
{cute, right?}
Of course we had to get some pictures of just us:{hubba, hubba}{yeeeeeh!}{loves}Is that a good looking family, or what?
{photos courtesy of Jared Hackett, as usual}

elder jer.

2009-12-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

This is how my family, the Nef's, looked prior to May 18, 2008:

This is how it currently looks:

Besides the obvious addition of a couple boys and a girl, we are missing one of our favorites....

Jeremy (a.k.a. Elder Nef)

Jeremy is my brother, younger than me by only 11.5 months, one of my top best friends, and certainly someone I want around on Christmas.

But this year and last year, Jeremy has been gone for Christmas doing bigger and better things, like serving the people of Oakland/San Francisco Cali.

You bet I got to talk to him today, and I promised him I would write a blog about him. So here it is.

Dear Elder Jer,

We miss you. Come home soon, but not too soon.

In May though, probably.

We thought about and thought about and missed and missed you this Christmas, just like last Christmas...

...And pretty much everyday since you have been gone.

I know it's not supposed to be this way, but we will soon make a paper chain which will count down the days until you will be back to entertain us and make our family whole again.

Until then, don't forget about us.

But more importantly...

...in these last few months,

work the hardest you have worked

so you can come back with zero regrets.

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!

Please.

2009-12-22T08:21:00.000-08:00

I don't want to take this down...

or these...

I want to be able to do things like this all year long...

and this, too...

Christmas, don't ever leave. I'd listen to "The First Noel" everyday of the year if I could. Everyone is happier when you are here. Love you.

big kids.

2009-12-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

This is my dreamy husband.
He graduated from college on Saturday.
We are so excited.
Congratulations Alex! I am sooooo proud of you!

done.

2009-12-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

...with school.

alex=done forever.

sam=one more semester.

BRING IT ON.

i had a birthday.

2009-12-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

11/27/2009: I celebrated my 22nd birthday, and what fun it was! I am shocked at how many people think of me on my birthday. I am sure it helps that I start announcing it to EVERYONE three weeks in advance, but whatever. Here are the highlights:

1. Lizzy made me THE cutest stockings ever. Thank you Liz2. I got to eat these cupcakes in beautiful Newport Beach, priced at $3.75 each......and I got to eat them with my favorite person in the world (he also got me new boots, a manicure, and took me to the coolest restaurant by the beach). Thank you Alex3. My mother-in-law made me this darling apron (so cute!) which was only one of the items from the awesome birthday basket she gave me. Thank you JodieI love my birthday every year, and never want to reach the age that I will start dreading it.

P.S. Thank you Facebook for making it so no one forgets my birthday :)

best friend/cousin/roomate's wedding.

2009-12-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

Katelyn, my dearest Katelyn got married. I could not be happier for her and Ian. They are soulmates, really. The day was perfect. She looked GORGEOUS (as usual). I am so happy for the new Allen family.
Me and Alex had to play around the beautiful Red Butte Gardens before the wedding dinner started...Ian, I hope you realize how lucky you are. But just in case you don't quite realize it yet, I will remind you with this video.

Love you Kate.

Halloween.

2009-11-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

I love love love the Food Network. Once on a certain Food Network TV show called Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives there was a Salt Lake dive called Moochies.
Ever since this dive appeared on television, I have been dying to try their legendary philly cheesesteak sandwiches. I can now proudly say that I have done it.
[Guy Fierri has a glare. But that's him.]

Next, item: Halloween. We were hippies at Alex's sister Jaylene's Halloween party.
[Sam & Al hippies]
[Sam hippy and Jaylene mummy]
[homemade rootbeer and vampire blood punch]

Happy Halloween. Until next year...

Sweeney Todd.

2009-11-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I don't want weekends to start because I know they will go by SO fast. Although it was way too short, last weekend was sure a fun one.

Friday we had a seriously fall-y meal including: Cumin Pumpkin Soup (good flavor, but sort of resembled the texture of baby food) and Turkey Melts with Sweet-n-Sour Slaw and Meunster Cheese.

THEN we went to Sweeney Todd to kick off the Halloween weekend. Creepy. Totally loved it. [Sam & Alex]
[Liz & Adam]
[Village Inn after the show]

So fun. We love playing with Liz and Ad all the time, and are loving the fall.

happy fall.

2009-10-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

Our home.

2009-09-08T12:40:00.001-07:00

This is where we live. We love it there.

one month later.

2009-09-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

We got married. We made it a month. The day was perfect. Check it out.

Spendloves

Nefs

Friends {the best}

Bridesmaids {sassy}

Groomsmen {foxy}

{Layton Reception}

{Vernal Open House}

ready to be done.

We are lovin each other, lovin married life, and lovin everyone who spent the day with us (and those who didn't). We couldn't be happier.

echo.

2009-08-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Just to echo her thoughts... HELP.

the worst.

2009-07-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

I know I am THE worst blogger ever, but I will be the first to admit that I am totally preoccupied right now. We're talking "i-am-getting-married-in-8-days" preoccupied. Luckily, I am in my final stretch at my job, and feel that I am at no risk of being fired if I blog instead of work. Here are the happenings as of late:

We went to Vernal.{sam.al.jaylene.jared.george.}

We went boating.
{water}
We visited the temple.
{awesome}
We had a post-temple family dinner.
{jared. jaylene. al. sam. liz. ad. christi. dev.}

Lots o' fun, but I am so over being engaged. Next on the agenda: relocation, marriage. Yessssss.

broad stripes, bright stars

2009-07-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the 4th of July. Not only is it my favorite holiday, but I think after Alex’s first visit to the Burley/Rupert area for the annual celebration of freedoms, it is definitely his favorite holiday too.

What we loved about the 4th of July in Idaho:

The drive

The sign (thanks, to the parents of the family taking pictures at the sign before we arrived, for this shot)

The river

The sun

The cousins

The farm

The grandparents

The canal (love the matching shirts?)

The ladle

You don't need to be jealous that you were unable to experience the 4th of July this way. We just can't wait for next year and more of the Idaho goodness.

upon request: engagements sneak preview

2009-07-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

{taken from samspectacular.blogspot.com June 11, 2009 posting}

Thanks to my fabulous future brother-in-law Jared for the amazing pictures and the amazing night spent taking them. We had such a fun time and can't wait for our next chance to get pictures taken, right Alex?

Sincerely, Sam soon-to-be Spendlove (57 days and counting...)

engaged.

2009-07-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

{taken from samspectacular.blogspot.com April 12, 2009 posting}

It's true! Alex proposed yesterday, and I could not be happier. It's all happening SUPER fast, but, man, it's true what they say: when it's right, it's right.

It was the most perfect day EVER! After an Easter egg hunt with Al's family, a pretty pretty pretty ring happened to be hidden in my Easter basket. Surprise! The big day is August 7th in the Logan Temple. I can't wait...

Sincerely, Sam soon-to-be Spendlove