Thanksgiving Holiday

For Thanksgiving this year Dallen and I were able to go to Monticello and spend it with the Fullmer side of the family (my mom's parents). It was a great weekend with lots of fabulous food, games, laughter, a little gun shooting, and football playing. Here are some pics to show.... (I forgot to take any pictures of thanksgiving with everyone at the dinner)
One of the afternoon's while we were down there we went and shot clay pigeons. We drove to montezuma canyon and found a canyon ledge to shoot off of. It was really fun!

These are some of the clay pigeons we set up to shoot with our 22's.

Throwing and shooting the clay pigeons....

Davi did a great job and was a "Davy Crockett" shooter. Her shots were dead on!

My dad also brought his pistol and we shot it at the left over pumpkins we had from Halloween. As you can see, everyone had thier turn to shoot and by the time we were done, there wasn't much pumpkin left over.

Cougar and Roxy came along for the ride

On Thanksgiving morning there was a crew of Monticello people that got together and had their own "Thanksgiving Bowl" of flag football. There were a lot of people that showed up and the game lasted for quite a while. My dad sprained his ankle while playing but it wasn't too bad. I think the boys had a lot of fun.

Hunter, Easton, and Dallen running out for a pass....

We were also able to have a party with the Sonderegger/Bowring family at Great-Grandma Sonderegger's house. We had dinner with everyone and then played games in her basement late into the night. We had ping pong tournaments, played crud (a game we made up with the pool table) and had fun just being in eachother's company. Thank you everyone for the great time!Overall it was a great Thanksgiving to spend time with the family.

I LoVe YoU DaLLeN!

"God Gave Me You"

On my own I’m only
Half of what I could be
I can’t do without you
We are stitched together
And what love has tethered
I pray we never undo

Cause God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
And for when I think I lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it’s true
God gave me you, gave me you.
He gave me you.

-Blake Shelton

"I Could Settle for a Slowdown..."

I have known that my blog was a little behind but I didn't realize that it really was almost 4 months behind!!! I guess I can just say that I have been busy reading and writing and studying and memorizing all of these books ever since school started and everything else has been put on hold for a while. Tonight there is a lot that I could get done, probably a lot that I should get done, but I fee like taking a little slowdown for a night and enjoying something that I haven't done in a long time... and that is blogging. I don't want to get too caught up in schooling that I forget to write down my journey along the way and the many MANY things that I am learning every day.
Each passing day I am learning so much and I have grown in so many ways that I can't put it all down on paper. Here are just a few of the numerous thoughts that I have had these past couple of months that I don't want to forget. (no particular order except for the first one :)1) My love: First and foremost, the love that I have for Dallen has grown SOOOO much!!!! Together we make such a great team and I can honestly say that our marriage has been the best thing that has happened to me. I really did get lucky because I know that on my own I couldn't have found someone that treats me so well and brings me up the way that Dallen does. I say it's a good thing we had others to help us meet :) I want to thank him and let everybody else know all of the many great things he does for me. Let's be honest, I haven't been the cook around the house probably since we've been married (and I do plan on changing that!), I haven't been the ultra cleaner, or the laundry maid, or the decorator, or the "dressy and ready everyday" wife. I have become a book worm the past four months and both Dallen and I know that it is going to pay off for us what can seem like a long ways down the road... but we know that it is worth it. I want to thank him for picking up and filling in the gaps for the things that I lack. For being there to make me laugh when I get home from classes and feel no motivation to keep studying and doing the things that I sometimes just don't want to do. I look up to his positive attitude every day and for the character and personality that he has.

2) Prayer: Almost every day when I drive to and from school I pray and talk to my Heavenly Father out loud about life and it has made the biggest difference! I feel like things go smoother, I am able to remind myself of the things that I do have rather than the things that I need, I think of others more often, I excel in all of my schoolwork, I have time for the important things to get done and somehow manage to have everything fall into place. I feel so much closer to my husband, family, friends, and Jesus Christ. I think I have often forgotten throughout life that just the simple act of praying makes such a HUGE difference. Prayer can bring so much comfort especially at times when I feel alone as Dallen is away or when I at times wonder how it is possible to make it through the challenging and busy weeks. When I am sincere, I can feel a difference and I can definitely see the miracles of the helping hands of the Lord.

3)Reflection: My life couldn't be any better or more perfect. Starting from the very beginning where my life began, I have the most amazing family ever! Especially my parents. I look up to them so much and as I get older, I am able to see just how good of people they are. I am proud to say that my parents have been my best friends my whole life and we have grown up having fun together. Yes, we have had our little battles here and there, but I think they would agree that we are very close. I am grateful for the way that they have taught me to work hard, to never give up even when all odds are against you, to always live the gospel, to save money, to laugh, to love, and to live every day to the fullest. They are my hero's! I do wish that I could see them more and that we could live closer to each other, but that day will come.

4)My new Proctor family: Can I just say that I am blessed to have such great in-laws! It has been so fun to get to know each of them a little and there is still a lot to learn. But one thing is for sure, I know that they are welcoming to others. They make others feel better when visitors come and go. I know that they accept me for who I am and I love them as well. It has been fun to live close by and to share some of our weekends having sleepovers and creating memories. I love them all!

5) Kids: Since I'm on the family subject, I'll include here the thoughts concerning my own future family. My thoughts in general have become more and more centered around the future family that Dallen and I will someday have. It is kind of crazy to think that I am at the stage of life that I can and will be a mother, that I will be a teacher to my children, a leader, an example, a friend, and hopefully a "hero" as my parents are to me. It could very possibly be that if we have a girl first, that her spouse is already born. That there are two parents somewhere out there raising a boy that will someday take my daughter to the temple and become a member of our family. It makes me wonder what kind of people my children will like, fall in love with, and marry. It makes me wonder what types of things that our future children are thinking (right this second) of Dallen and I as we are trying our hardest and doing our best to prepare ourselves for them. What are they going to be like. What challenges will we help them overcome, what personalities will they have, and who will they grow to be. I hope they are excited to come to us and I hope that Dallen and I can provide the means that they need to be able to live righteous lives in this crazy world. I really look forward towards these special gifts from above that will someday live in the walls of our home.

6)Schooling: I know that I often get caught up in speaking negatively about school, but it really is a great blessing. I have a scholarship that pays for four years of tuition at Utah Valley University. I have the opportunity to learn and to grow in so many different aspects. I have the chance to gain knowledge in a profession that will be of great benefit to my family, those I help, and myself. I will be able to stay home as a mom and raise a family with a flexible work schedule. I will have a degree in a unique profession that involves many people, but allows me to accomplish personal goals that I have for myself. As I have been through some tough classes (a.k.a. anatomy, chemistry, and physiology) I have been humbled at the abilities of the human body. I know that I am just scratching the surface of the body anatomy and physiology, but our bodies really are so amazing! The way that we are able to function and to sense things, and to send messages to different organs, and to keep everything in balance is proof to me that we are made from a higher being. It is almost incomprehensible. It mas made me ponder about the creation a little more and recognize the blessing that I have of having a healthy body. It has led me to a better understanding and a deeper knowledge that our bodies are temples of God and that we are created after his own image. That we are special to him and that he has all knowledge.
On the other hand, the classes that I am taking, such as Ethics and Values for my generals, and Spanish have helped me see things from another point of view. My ethics and values teacher is what he would call "a philosophical academic conceptualist" and throughout the semester we have learned about the views of a non-religious point of view on life. It has been an interesting experience and I have definitely had exposure to some ideas that would have never crossed my mind otherwise. It has shown me the importance of faith because if beliefs are based solely on philosophy, then there is nothing constant and "foundations of ideas" are always changing.

7)Missionary work: Briar (Dallen's brother-and mine too), my Grandpa and Grandma Bowring, and my twin cousins (Trent and Travis) are all serving missions right now. What great examples they have been to me. I look forward to the missions that Dallen and I will someday serve together and the people that we will be able to meet. However, although I am excited to someday have my specific "call" of where Dallen and I will serve, I have thought of how life in general is a mission. A mission of not only sharing the gospel, but of overcoming evil, growing in every manner possible, and improving ourselves. I appreciate the great missionaries who have and are continuing to work hard.

8)Temples: I know that before I went into the temple I was anxious, a little nervous, but most of all excited to find out what was so sacred about the work that was done inside. The first time I was able to go through for myself, I knew that the temple would become something special and personal in my life. I could feel the spirit so strong when the words were spoken inside those temple walls and as I have returned many times to the rooms inside, I have continued to feel that same special feeling. I have pondered a lot of the teachings inside the temple and each time I do so my testimony grows. Dallen and I have been very blessed to live where we do. So close to so many different temples where we can attend sessions that begin every 45 minutes. We have made it a goal to attend twice a month and as we have done so, I have been able to see the countless blessing in our lives. It has been far more than worth our time. I have been able to do a little family history work and it has been neat as Dallen and I have completed their work, but also as my family members including my Great Grandma Sonderegger have helped us do so. I hope to continue searching for family names and to find the families that need the work done.

These are just a few of my thoughts....

"Grace Green"....?

SITUATION:
Dallen, as we all know, loves the derby. When we travel we look for cars along the way and when we have a little extra time every now and then we like to watch videos and highlights of hard hits. For the past couple of months Dallen and Spencer have been working in Jerome, Idaho on the rail road and have been able to find a ton of derby cars! A lot of people still drive older cars around there and if they don't have one that's running, there is usually on sitting in their yard or neighborhood. Anyways, this past week Dallen found a car that he wanted to go look at so after he was done with work for the day he drove to the place to talk to the owner. The owner was an older lady who he said was very drunk at the time and looked pretty rough. They talked about the car for a bit and during the process she asked him a little about what he was doing in Jerome and offered him a beer. Dallen told her that he didn't drink and she asked, "If you did drink then what would you drink?" Dallen jokingly said back, "probably milk". haha It was a quick stop and nothing happened with getting the car so Dallen went back to the hotel and that was that...
...The next day:
Dallen went to work the next day and came home to find something on his car... a brown bag with a beer in it and a note on his wind shield that said,
"......... with her number at the bottom: 206-...-..."

We laughed and laughed about it because what kind of a 50ish year old lady would track down somebody's car and place a beer on the windshield with a note saying she wanted to hook up? I was interested in knowing who this lady was so Dallen gave me her number and I called her up. This is what was said...

CONVERSATION:
Linda: Hello?
Me: Hi, could I please talk to Linda?
Linda: Hello?
Me: Hi, is Linda there?
Linda: What?
Me: Is your name Linda?
Linda: I don't know.
Me: You don't know if your name is Linda??
Linda: Well I do, but I'm not going to tell you. Who is this?
Me: Are you Linda?
Linda: I'm not going to tell you. Who is this?
Me: Why won't you tell me? All I want to know is if your name is Linda?
Linda: I'm not going to tell you until I know who this is.
Me: Well my name is Janessa. Is your name Linda?
Linda: No...
Me: What is your name then?
Linda: My name is... Grace
Me: Oh really?! Your name is not Linda huh?
Linda: No, my name is Grace Green. But why are you calling me?
Me: Do you live in Jerome, Idaho?
"Grace"(Linda): No
Me: Where do you live then?
"Grace" (Linda): I live in Utah
Me: So your name is not Linda, and you don't live in Idaho?
"Grace" (Linda): No. Why are you calling me?
Me: My husband is working in Jerome, Idaho right now and he said that he found a beer bottle and a note on his car saying that somebody from this number wanted to hook up with him because he looked like he was single. He had already informed whoever this is, that he doesn't drink and he did have his wedding ring on. I just wanted to let that person know that he is married and I am his wife. I don't want you talking to him anymore.
"Grace" (Linda): Well I don't know what your talking about so you don't have to worry about anything. I'll talk to you later.... Actually, I won't because I don't even know who you are. Bye.... click.

After the phone call, I told Dallen what she said and we laughed about it for a long time. It is quite funny the people you will meet in different places and the odd things they do... This experience was pretty unique I'd say but it added a little humor to our day. I guess I can't blame her for seeing a very very good looking man and wanting to be with him. I definitely have the better end of the deal and am soooo happy to have a husband that preferable likes to drink "milk". This will be something that we will laugh about for a LONG time I'm sure!

Our Latest Projects

Dallen and I really liked this shelf when we saw it at one of our friends house and wanted one just like it. We decided we would make one for my parents since they have a new house and thought it'd be a cool gift to give them for their 20th wedding anniversary which was on November 29th. We got to work after that and here is a pic of the shelf that we built and painted together (below). We had a lot of fun building it and it was great to give it to my parents. They decided to put it in a room by the front entry way and showed everyone that came to their house. It was a fun surprise.

Another project that Dallen built was some benches for our nephew and niece, Parli and Sawyer. Dallen's sister Candis would paint them for us and give them to the kids for Christmas. I think Dallen did a great job and some day we will be building benches for our own kids :)

This medicine cabinet is another project that Dallen made for our bathroom. Our space is limited for our bathroom supplies so we got the problem solved now.... and I love it! I am grateful to have a handy man around the house and we look forward to building more projects together in the future. We are glad that we have the tools that we do. They have come in handy :)