Act of Service

Seasons Greetings from the Wheeler household! I am now officially counting down the 12 days until Christmas. I can't wait! Christmas is my favorite time of year. The smell of pine, candy canes, Christmas decorating, and best of all, PRESENTS! :) I love the feeling. We decided to do a little decorating around our apartment to celebrate. :)

 Our First Christmas Tree

December has been a busy month for us. I have been working and Collin just finished classes at BYU! Testing is next week, so we are praying he does well, which... I have faith he will. :) He is just brilliant.

It is definitely looking a lot like Christmas outside with the cold weather and snow on the ground. It snowed hard last week in Provo. The snow is still there, but is now turning into ice. I had an experience just the other day that has to do with ice. It was cold and I was driving to the church where my best friend Stephanie was giving her last testimony on her mission. I was already running late, so I got out of my car pretty quickly. That wasn't smart, because I realized there was ice everywhere! I suddenly slipped and took a good fall on the ice. I got up and I don't think anybody noticed that I fell. I got inside of the chapel and realized that my knee was starting to bleed. I went inside and sat down acting like nothing had happened. However, I knew I needed help, fast! I asked the gentleman next to me if he had any tissues. He couldn't hear me, so I showed him my wounded knee which was beginning to bleed even more. As soon as he saw it, he went out to get some napkins to help stop the bleeding. A moment later, he went out again to get a first aid kit. He put gauze on my knee and taped it together with bandages. Instantly, I felt so much better. I had come just in time to see Stephanie give a beautiful testimony. I knew I wasn't going to see her in person for a long time, so I was glad that nothing stopped me from seeing her that day.

  
My heart will forever be thankful for the gentleman who helped me with my injured knee. Most importantly, that I wasn't too late to see Stephanie bare her testimony. It was a moment that reminded me that Heavenly Father is always there to bare us up when we need it. He also answered my prayers that night when I realized that I had made it to see Stephanie. It made everything so worthwhile. :) I don't know what I would've done if it wasn't for the man who I sat next to in the chapel. It really made my day so much better. It was truly a great act of service.

Stephanie is now home from her mission. I am so happy she is now back. I have missed her to pieces while she was on her mission. She is such a big part of my life; a great example about staying positive no matter what happens in life. :)

I am so grateful for this holiday season and what this year will bring and the following year to come! I am especially excited, because Collin and I are going to Virginia for Christmas break to see his family! I have never been to the East Coast before, so I am looking forward to it. I love this time of year where we can spend time with family. In my case, it will be with my new family. :)

A Thankful Heart This Season

Last week, we spent Thanksgiving in California. After carpooling with friends from Provo, we stayed at my dad and step mom's house for three days. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we went to Apple Hill to get a Christmas tree. It was a great adventure and the weather was perfect. We got the perfect tree to fit in the living room. It looks even more beautiful decorated. :)

 The tree fell suddenly when we were cutting it

Holding Up Our Tree

 My Strong Man

 After We Put Lights Up

That night, we ate dinner and played games. It was great to see Collin have fun with his in-laws. :)

On Thanksgiving day, we went to see my grandma Carter. She lives in a care facility in Roseville. I was happy that Collin could meet her. We had a really great bonding time.

 

She thought it would be funny to make a funny face. :)

My grandmother has always been a remarkable person with a heart of gold. She is the perfect example about how to be Christ-like and good. I love her so much!

This thanksgiving was especially meaningful for me, because I got to meet my older brother Nathan. It was great talking and getting to know him. 

We sat down at the table to eat delicious pot roast for dinner. Patty worked hard and cooked an amazing meal. While we were eating, Nathan said that he was thankful that he got to spend time with us this Thanksgiving. This touched me, because it made me so grateful for family.

The picture Nathan took of the family on Thanksgiving. :)

Later that night, we went Collin's aunt and uncle's house to see his relatives. It was so great to see, as Tyson would say, 20% of the Wheelers. :)

We hadn't seen some of them since the wedding so it was good to see them again. :)

On Friday, we were at my mom's house where we helped prepare a day after Thanksgiving meal (or as I like to call it, Black Friday Dinner.) We cooked sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and dessert.

Our friend Diana (I refer to her as my aunt), her niece, and my Uncle Frank all joined us for dinner. There was turkey, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, cranberry jello, you name it! We cooked it all! My mom always makes meals enough to feed an army.

After dinner, we skyped with Kelsey and Jordan with the family. They even got to be in our family picture!

My Uncle Frank plays the ukulele. He got me inspired to play it. He brought over his ukuleles and we played them for the rest of the night. 

On Saturday, we ate lunch with Collin's grandparents and Uncle Gordon. It was so nice to listen to their stories. I was thoroughly entertained. They are so wonderful and thoughtful. :)

The next day, we drove back home to Utah. All I could think about was all the good memories of this Thanksgiving. I am especially grateful to be married to Collin and that we got to spend our first Thanksgiving together. :)

So Much To Celebrate!!

It's been another busy month in the Wheeler household. I have been working nonstop and Collin is still studying and doing homework while working at his job. It has gotten colder in Provo. It snows off and on, but we aren't getting much down here which can be a blessing or a curse. Snow is fun, but I am a typical California girl who likes the warm sun. :)

There was so much that happened last week. We just celebrated Collin's 24th birthday on Wednesday. (Now we are the same age!) We started off the day by waking up early to get ready for work. I gave him a card along with the movie Megamind. We both love this movie. It's so funny! 

Later on that night, Collin came home and caught me making an ice cream cake for his birthday. When the time came, we went out to eat at Tacano's, a buffet restaurant where they serve you all-you-can-eat meat. We enjoyed ourselves there.

 Just to clarify, this is NOT alcohol, it's mango lemonade. :)

We got home just in time to have ice cream cake. What Collin didn't know was that I invited close friends and family to our apartment to wish him a happy birthday. Of course, he got the hint when I was cleaning and vacuuming. :)

When everyone arrived, we sang happy birthday to Collin. He blew out 24 candles!!

He said he had to wear sunglasses, because there were so many candles. It was my first year celebrating my husband's birthday, so it was very special for me as well as him. :)

On the following weekend, we got the opportunity to go to Salt Lake City for our friend Teancum's wedding. The reception took place in the Joseph Smith Memorial building. Everything was so beautiful! Teancum is my best friend's brother. I have known both of them for years up at BYU Idaho. It made me so ecstatic to see Teancum happily married to his new bride. 

We really enjoyed ourselves at the reception. It was great to catch with my best friend Chelsea. (She was a maid of honor at my wedding). We are totally inseparable.

We have been through so much together. We were even roommates in College. I love her to pieces!

That's it for the Wheeler's for now. Our next journey will be in California for Thanksgiving. I can't wait to see family and eat yummy food. :) 

October Festivities

All I can say right now is.... I can't believe October is over! It was a fun yet very busy month for us. I am still working at Sunrise Preschool and Collin has been working on midterms at BYU and working for the OIT (Office of Information Technology). He is always working so hard on his school work and is achieving good grades. I am so proud of my smart hubby. :)

On my days off work, I keep myself occupied by cooking. I love to cook. It has always been one of my favorite hobbies, especially now that I am married. I have learned so much from my mom when it comes to cooking. She is an amazing cook. I have looked up to her for years. She makes enough food to feed an army! I really hope to be as amazing as she is. :)

We made so many yummy fall treats during the month of October. 

 Apple Pie

 The carmel apples that we made for FHE one night

 Ever since I was little, I loved making crafts and still do today. I have days where I get into my crafty moods. I wanted our apartment door to have a decoration on it, so I created an autumn wreath.

All I can say is, thank goodness for Pinterest. :) You always find great ideas there.

We went to our ward Halloween party a week before Halloween. I was partially in charge of putting things together for the party. There was a great turn-out and the party was so fun! We dressed up like two very familiar characters. :)

 Han Solo and Princess Leia

We ended up being one of the the top five couples to win in the costume contest and got glow sticks for a prize. :)

There were Minute-to-Win-It games during the party. I thought that the highlight from the entire night was the doughnut contest, where you had to eat a doughnut hanging from a string without using your hands. Our husbands had to be careful not to touch it. I have the pictures to prove it.

 Collin ended up winning and defeated the doughnut himself (AKA Jordan). We had never laughed so hard in our entire lives.

When the weekend came, Collin and I decided that we should go to the temple. I got to visit and go inside the Provo temple for the first time. It was truly a great experience. I love the temple. It is a constant reminder for me that the Savior is always there with us.

Those are the moments I love the most.

At the preschool, we held Halloween parties for the children on October 30th and 31st. It was a busy time, but I was glad that the children all enjoyed it. They got to enjoy treats, games, and Halloween stories. I loved seeing all their cute costumes and I'm sure that the children loved seeing ours. :)

 Princess Leia and her Purple Minions

I got to wear my Princess Leia outfit for a total of three days. My hair was definitely full of hair spray and pins to help it stay up. The last thing I have to say is... thank goodness of D.I. :)

We ended Halloween by having the Snowden's over as we played scary games and watched Doctor Who. I played the computer game Slender for the first time and I am proud to say that I survived my first game! I can't wait for next Halloween!

Feeling Blessed :)

Collin and I got to watch the October 2013 General Conference, this time from our own home, on television, relaxing in our PJ's. 

 We were so happy to join my sister Kelsey Snowden and her husband Jordan for conference this year. (They live right across the way from us which makes it very convenient. :) ).

On the Saturday morning session of General Conference, we had the Snowden's come over and enjoy cinnamon rolls for breakfast as we watched Conference from our TV. We decided to pass down the cinnamon roll tradition in our family, so I made some. :)

 

Ready to Bake Dough

 Fresh from the Oven

 It smelt so sweet in our kitchen. I love the smell of cinnamon. :)

There was a talk in the Saturday morning session that stood out to me from Elder Uchtdorf. It's called "Come, Join with Us." It's about feeling like you belong in the church, despite your passed mistakes or wrong-doings. I loved it, because I converted into the church when I was 18 years old. It was at that time that I converted into the gospel. Every mistake, every fault that I had didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that I was making the right choice for myself and my family. We became so much happier after joining God's true church. I was so grateful to hear Uchtdorf's inspiring talk. I am also grateful to know that I can live an eternal and blessed life.

The next day, we spent the day with the Snowden's. We ate quiche for breakfast that they made for us. It was sooooo good! :) After the Sunday morning session of Conference, we decided to go on a family walk towards Provo Canyon. We walked on a trail to go up to Bridalvale Falls. It is so pretty up there during this time of year. I couldn't help but take pictures of the beautiful fall scenery.

 

 

 

We also took a few couple pictures. :)

                 


 I realized while walking and looking at the beauty around me that I have been blessed with a truly wonderful life. It's moments such as these that make me grateful that there is such a thing as family. :)

By Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed Conference once more in our home. My brother-in-law Miles joined us which made the day all the more enjoyable. :) This last Conference was so amazing as they always are. I'm so grateful to learn from our prophet and apostles. Everyday, I am striving to be better and I always become inspired when I hear the words from our church leaders. I feel so blessed to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the church that will lead us to the glorious Kingdom of God.

"Wake Me Up When September Ends"

First of all, I can't believe how fast the month of September went by!! It's crazy how time never slows down. So much has happened this month for the Wheeler household. I got a job working as a para educator at a preschool in Provo called Sunrise Preschool. I was so excited when I got the job. I knew I could use my child development degree for something!! So far, it's been great! I can even walk to my work, that's how close it is! :) Collin is still working for BYU's OIT and just started classes at BYU for his junior year. 

 This is me just playing around with my new phone. :)

 Collin is always diligently studying.

We are both very busy bees this semester, but we find times to socialize as well. My sister Kelsey and her husband Jordan moved back to Provo, and to top it off, they live in the same apartment complex as us! It's awesome that we can go and see them anytime we want. :) I love having them here. We also love getting to know people in our ward in church activities.

Earlier this month, we got to have dinner with a missionary couple that I knew back home in California. It was Elder and Sister Rounds!! I was so happy to hear that they now live in Utah. We got to talk, eat delicious food, and watch the movie "The Little Women." It was so wonderful to see them again. They are the sweetest couple you will ever meet. They made us feel right at home. It's always great to see old friends and remember the good times.

Speaking of good times, I got the opportunity to see my best friend Stephanie who happens to be serving her mission here in Utah. She was in Provo to wait for her companion as she took her ACT test. Stephanie (Sister Wood) got a hold of me on facebook and asked if I could be her temporary companion for a few hours. I agreed and called her the next morning. We met each other at a local high school and ran up and hugged each other instantly. Tears of joy filled my eyes as I saw her. I hadn't seen her in over a year and have really missed her. We had a great time talking and sharing spiritual messages with each other. It's tender mercies like that which make us want to do mission work and serve others.

Collin and I like to take time out of our busy lives and go on a date. We always have fun eating out or just talking on dates. 

              Eating dinner at Applebee's        Collin loves french fries. :)

It's true what they say, "it's always better when we're together." Everything is always better with Collin. We always are there to back each other up.

I'm so excited for more fall adventures! Fall is most definitely my favorite season. Colorful leaves, warm jackets, the smell of cinnamon and apples, I LOVE it! We will see what this season has in store for us...

Tis the season to get married, fa la la la la...la la la la!!!

Collin and I apparently started a new trend, because there was a huge number of people who got married after us. Summertime is always a busy time for weddings, especially in the Mormon world. During August, we were each in a wedding, one in Utah and one in California!! He got the opportunity to be a groomsman for our friend Kevin's wedding. We saw Kevin and his wife get sealed in the Manti Temple. This was the first sealing that I witnessed, so it was really special for me. :) The Manti Temple is so gorgeous and I love the view you can see from the temple. While we were waiting outside for the happy couple, we took a few pictures around the temple.

We were told to be funny...

 

When Kevin and Natalia came out of the temple, you can see that they were so happy. They are such a nice couple. :)

 

 

 

Pictures were being taken as Collin and I had fun taking our own. :)

 



 

I loved the mint green dresses. :)

 

We went to their reception where everyone was playing games and winning prizes. Collin hosted a game of family feud. Overall, it was a beautiful wedding. Collin and I really enjoyed ourselves that day.

 

 

 

 

 

A week later, I took a train down to California for my best friend April's wedding. Ironically enough, April was one of my bridesmaids for my wedding and I was a bridesmaid for her wedding. We both got married a month apart from each other! Collin couldn't make it down because of work, but we still Skyped with each other like old times. :)

 

I was so excited to be a part of her big day and was looking forward to wearing my bridesmaid dress.

 

 

I remember how beautiful she looked as she walked down the isle to marry her prince charming. Tears filled my eyes knowing that April was married to a great guy who would support her no matter what. The scenery was beautiful in the Newcastle Wedding Gardens. It was a perfect day to get married.

 

I got to Rocklin for the wedding reception in the afternoon. The decorations were so amazing with a Midnight in Paris theme.

 

I LOVED the incredible center pieces!

 

During the reception, each member of the bridal party got announced individually along with a song of their choice. When they called my name, they played "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. I made my entrance and began dancing as I walked in. It was fun! :)

 

 

Later on, there was food, a lot of dancing, bouquet/garter toss, and cake. :) I was glad when I had time during the reception to get a picture with my girl. :)

 

 



 

It was such a creative, fun, and beautiful wedding. Jordan and April make a gorgeous couple. I am so happy that my best friend is now happy with the perfect guy for her. It is a good feeling when you find someone who is your true soul mate.

 

 

 

The following day, I packed my things and took the train back to my new home in Utah where I knew my husband was waiting for me there. :)

 



 

 



Getting Started...

We moved into our new apartment in Provo, UT in the beginning of August. I was instantly excited about seeing our new place and knowing that we are starting a life together. It looked really nice with everything furnished and a nice entertainment system. :) We had wedding presents that were already in the apartment, thanks to our family members who helped transport them. :) After our honeymoon, we carried in the rest of the presents in the apartment and immediately began opening them! (We love presents. :) ) We had boxes, wrapping paper, and suitcases everywhere shortly after moving in. It was a long process to clean the apartment, but eventually came together nicely.

 Before

 

 

After
 

 Decorating is still a working progress, but it's coming along. All I can say is I'm really excited about making our apartment look cute and charming (hopefully. :) ). I love how I can now be creative and think of ways of decorating the apartment. I think it is a good way to prepare for how we will decorate our home for our future families.

 

From this time on, Collin spent the whole month of August working full time, as I worked full time to find jobs. :) It was definitely a good time to adjust to married life. We go to church every Sunday and love our new ward. We absolutely love spending time together. I can't think of anything better than that.