I'm ALIVE!!!

Girls, I think this is the very first time I've ever actually been on our blog. I never knew how to do it! I'm terrible with this blogging stuff...Kristen needs facebook!! So I wanted to update my lovely ladies from Apartment #23 on my life a bit since we don't get to see each other or talk very often.

Honestly, life hasn't changed very dramatically for me, at least it doesn't feel like it. Chad graduated from BYU Hawaii in August of 2011; it was really neat getting engaged there and living our first year as a married couple in such a beautiful and different place. Chad graduated in Accounting, and I worked over there at State Farm Insurance - proof that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Once Chad graduated, we moved back to California, to a city called Upland, where Chad grew up (in San Bernadino County near Chino, Ontario, etc).

From September 2011-August 2012 we lived with my in-laws. This was NOT anticipated!! Chad's career path changed suddenly when a big business opportunity opened itself up to him right after graduation. We immediately started looking for homes to buy in the Upland/surrounding areas, but it was a long and terrible process. 1 full year and 4 escrows later, we FINALLY bought our first house in Chino!!

Chad and I both work in Upland, which is only 7 miles from where we live, so that's a huge blessing. I've continued on with the insurance field because I was hired immediately and given excellent benefits - which will come in useful when we start to grow our little family! Chad's work is literally less than 1/4mile away from my office, so we often meet up for lunch or just to say hi. Our house is older - buying in California is EXPENSIVE - but it's exactly what we were looking for.

Our house is 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, and just about 1800 sq ft. For the two of us, it seems HUGE! The prior owner had put a lot of work into it and upgraded different things, so there wasn't major work that needed to be done. But we did decide to remodel the kitchen and 1 bathroom. Our kitchen has been a work in progress; I just recently installed my stove and over the range microwave, and I'm hoping Chad finishes installing my garbage disposal tonight! My dad has been super awesome and has come up a few times to help with some of the renovations - he's actually here this week putting up new door casings and nice baseboards throughout the house. It's been a fun project, and Chad and I are learning SO much!

In our other ward in Upland, I worked with the Young Women, and Chad worked with the Young Men, so we used to go to mutual together and do baptisms for the dead - it was great! Leaving that ward was really hard, but we're excited for new things!

Chad and I ran our first half marathon in June 2012, and it was really fun. We trained together and ran the entire race together, so it was a bonding experience. We're now training for a full marathon; Chad has signed up for the Chino Hills trail marathon on November 3, and Calista and I are tentatively planning to run together on Dec 26 for a full marathon in LA. Our lives are pretty busy, as all of you are, but we're happy and so blessed. I miss you girls and hope I can be better at keeping in touch with some of my very closest friends. I love you girls!!! (pictures are for Kristen)