Graduate.

Last Friday Robert and I graduated from BYU-Idaho with our Bachelors.

It was a very long last semester, and I am proud to say that Robert and I both did better than we could have hoped! The last four years have been more than an adventure, and honestly I didn't think I would actually ever see my graduation day. Yes, it's cliche- but it really feels like it was just a few days ago that I was in a teal cap and gown, heading off to my new big adventure- college. Yet, here I am a college graduate, happily married and ready to begin a new stage of life. 

Over the last four years I was blessed to have opportunities that many people aren't given. BYU-Idaho has given me more opportunities than any other school could have; the professors have greatly impacted and changed both mine and Roberts life. We will forever be grateful to professors who took a sincere interest in Robert and I and who were always cheering for us and pushing us to our potential. 

Three cheers to graduating and taking a new big step in life!

Wedding, Depar Two?

First, let me say that tonight has literally been the first night in two months (hence the lengthy gap between blog posts) I haven't wanted to weep from overwhelming school. This is my last semester of school and definitely proving to be the most difficult, by far. I am sure one day I will look back and think, you know what? Being a poor married college student, with both of us completely swamped with work, school, and grad school applications was kinda fun. As for right now, it's not something that I would pass up Disneyland for.

My good friend Ally is a floral design major and had her big bridal/wedding show this weekend. A few days ago we talked, and it turned out that she needed to find someone to be the bride for her room; she had a specific dress she had to have the bride wear and it turns out that I was one of a gajillion people who fit into the dress. It was kind of like Cinderella. with a dress, minus the mice, and the true love thing. Since I fit into the bridal gown, I naturally had to have a groom. And who better than my dashing real life groom?

So today Robert and I spent the afternoon being props for and awesome flower show. But really. Ally did an awesome job on her room- she is a VERY talented florist. Her theme was a classic/vintage black and white. The pictures don't really do it justice.

My awesome little sister (besides the fact that she is 8 in taller than me) did my hair. To the right is the final product. 

A table runner made out of flowers. How cool is that?!

Even though it was far less enjoyable than our wedding (considering the people were really on there to look at the decorations and flowers- not us), it brought back many memories from the last time I wore a wedding dress and stood next to my dashing groom. 

Weddings are awesome. Marriage is so much cooler.

show me the baby.

Yes, it's been over a month since I have updated this little blog; but, let's be honest, there were some things that trump a blog in life (like school, and my husband, and my job). To do a quick re-cap, Robert has been busy finishing secondary medical school applications, running a business, taking sixteen credits and working up a storm. My professor always says, "don't complain about the pain, just show me the baby!". So, here is glimpse of Robert's "baby":

(so for all of you Rexburgians, you should come to Paint & Fire Ceramics)

Okay, so he hasn't been busy matchmaking, but that is his company's latest commercial. And Robert dies laughing when he watches that commercial. every.single.time. And then he spends the next hour singing "I believe in miracles, you sexy thing".

As for me, I don't really have a baby to show for my semester thus far...... just a husband who keeps losing weight (but since I am his "personal trainer" for the semester, I guess that would be more of my failure. The kid is crazy.) He does have wicked sweet abs now, but I won't share that "baby" with you, I don't know how I feel about posting a picture of my husband's abs on our family friendly blog. awkward.
I have just been loving my job as the head anatomy TA. In all honesty it's probably been my favorite part of the semester. Up until Saturday I was also loving my sewing class, but then we got into a bloody battle and the sewing machine won. I now have a hole in my finger and a nice accent of blood on my bedskirt.

Exactly a month ago, there was also another addition to the Wixom grand babies. This is Nat's little hunk, Emerson.

(this is my favorite picture)

His hair sticks straight up naturally, and I think it's the cutest thing in the world. I finally get to see him on Saturday, and I am stoked.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Drive safe :)

la la la la, life is wonderful

Today my new nephew finally decided to emerge from the womb. Collette may or may not have been a few days late and a little anxious, but I am sure it was well worth it. (considering he got here in about record labor time.)

Meet little Darwin Wixom Call:

Co-bag and J-Bone live in Boston, so I don't get to see the little fool until Christmas. Knowing his parents, I can't think of a child that will be more hilarious, or have more personality than this kid. I already love him. I'm excited to see him, and also how he gets along with Natalie's future child (who is due two weeks). They will be quite the pair. Collette and Justin both thinks he looks like a mini version of Winston Churchill, and I kind of agree.

Speaking of Mr. Churchill. When I was growing up, my dad always had our "weekly family quote" that we got to memorize. Churchill and Emerson are two of my dad's most favorite people in the world so more than enough came from him. As of late, one of my favorite quotes we memorized growing up has been running through my head, nonstop:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

And so Mr. Churchill helped me recognize that I was feeling rather lazy and unproductive, that I wasn't doing enough (you probably would never guess what my parents were like), like I needed to do something more exciting with my life rather than being a critic. 

Which beings me to my next point: Today I overheard my friend talking in my class saying that the soccer team needed more players, and I thought "what the heck, I love soccer. Sign me up!". After classes I got to play soccer for the first time in a year and a half, and it was a beautiful thing. It brought me back to the early days of college, playin with this girl:

And my last game of Senior year playing with these awesome ladies:

(this was the best picture I have. Although you can't see their faces, they are pretty cool)

When I got home Robert-o sweetly reminded me that I am currently taking 15 credits, the head Anatomy & Physiology TA, a Nutritionist, a personal trainer, a wife, and a soccer player (again). Somehow all the rest of that stuff slipped my mind, but what the heck? I love doing it all. So, life is good. Plus, its Fall!, and I get to walk (or run) home everyday when it looks like this:

Did I also mention that I have a really cool husband? Oh, well, I do.

Dress-up

A while back I mentioned that I was in the middle of becoming a certified fitness/aerobics instructor. Today I taught an aerobics class for a "special population"; my special population of choice was expecting (expecting a baby, that is) and postpartum mothers. My teaching parter is expecting, but for this rest of us, a balloon sufficed. It was probably the most fun I have ever had teaching a fitness class. 

It may or may not have given most of the people in my class baby fever. 

The class after mine had the "special population" of elderly. We danced oldies music the whole time; I'll be honest, I had a little bit of age envy. I'd be down with getting a velvet jumpsuit and boogieing to "Build me Up, Buttercup" any day. 

Moral of the story: You're never too old to pretend play.

Weeping.

There are something in life that just makes me want to weep, and then weep again:

leaving London, 

waking up at 5 minutes before my alarm goes of at 4:57 knowing I can't go back to bed, 

wearing sandals when it starts to snow in May,
being hungry (but that is just a whole other story)
having a runny nose

and- oh yeah,

  midterms 

(when every professor feels the need to throw an exam and project at you)

That's all.

Other than that- life is good. (once this week is over)
Especially since after this lovely week, we get to plant our garden.

Three cheers for garden composts and fresh veggies.

Twenty-Three and a Half Hours

I love going to school. There is just something about diving in and learning everything about something you love; for me, that is our body: both Anatomy & Physiology (but preferably physiology)  health, exercise, and nutrition. I have loved getting into the upper level classes for this very reason.

Did I also mention Robert-o also loves this kind of stuff? (Since we are both in the same field of study, it would make sense :) Sometimes I feel like we can get a little nerdy when our conversations hold excitement about what we learned in our Physiology classes that day.

Last week I stumbled across this video and fell in love. This doctor did extensive research and came up with the following. It is pretty much common knowledge, but I like the way that he puts it. Especially since 1/3 of Americans are obese, over 1/2 are overweight and another half are at risk of Cardiovascular disease.
Enjoy!




I am pretty much out on a campaign for everyone in the world to see this video- so please, share with your friends. :)