This was Andrew's first week at his new position at Fidelity. He totally rocked the last job he had, and after an impressive interview, how could they not beg for him to work with them at this next level?! :) I am very proud of him. He works so hard, stays to do overtime, asks for advice on how to be more effective, and sincerely seeks out ways to improve himself and those around him. This next job will be tough, but I know he will do wonders with it.  The next 8 weeks are all training, and then he will jump into the thick of things. How exciting!

Speaking of Andrew starting something new, did I tell you that he started school again? He applied to WGU (it's a purely online university) and got in. 2 of his brothers did their Master's degrees through the WGU program, and he has another brother who is also currently working through his Bachelor's through them. So far, Andrew has like it. He never liked having to go to class on campus, so the online courses allow him to go at his own pace and choose his hours.  It's great.  And it's definitely time consuming. I have had to come to terms that I don't get to just hang out with my husband during the week. He comes home from work, we eat dinner together and talk, and then he has to seclude himself in our office for 2-3 hours while I grade papers or watch Netflix and finally fall asleep (and unfortunately I often fall asleep before he is done studying). It's not an ideal social situation for me, but I admire his hard work and dedication in earning higher education.  This weekend he took the final for his first class and PASSED! Yay! :) One class down... 30-something-ish to go ;)

For me, my students and I are still in the midst of state testing (Ug, don't let me start on how much I despise end-of-year testing). So while that is not fun, we have started our Holocaust unit and our reading of The Devil's Arithmetic. This unit is always a highlight to my students' 8th grade year, so I am happy I could fit it in. We have started our penny competition and the scores are as follows:
*Mrs. Macey's classes- 29,000 pennies
*Mrs. Butterfield's classes- 21,000 pennies
*Mrs. Tohara's classes-10,000 pennies
Yes, that is right, my classes are in the lead. I am so impressed with how generous many students and parents are with this penny activity. 

And finally, I kinda started the 21 Day Fix program this week. I have determined that marriage has made me happy....and fat. I don't want to hate how I feel in my clothes, so I've decided to take action. This week was not an official start, but I did a few of the workout videos (and I was supremely sore afterwards as a result), and I tried to keep track of what I was eating so that I didn't have meaningless munchies. I will keep you updated on how the rest goes. Andrew and I have actually made our weight loss into a competition. If I win, I get a shopping spree to buy new clothes. If he wins, he gets this...............................................>(and I'm not kidding about this being what he wants) a blow-up T-Rex costume. 

This week was pretty uneventful, but the weekend was fun.

I have to admit, I like weekends with Andrew. We usually relax a lot, but we also like going on dates and meeting up with friends and family. This weekend we went on a double date with our friends, Zach and Angie. We first went to Rich's Burgers in downtown Salt Lake City (if you've never been, you have to go and try their mac-and-cheese burger. I know it sounds disgusting, but it is delightful).  Dinner conversation was great, especially the part where they told us that they were pregnant with twins! Ah! I can't even imagine how crazy their house is going to be come October. How exciting. Then we perused the shops around City Creek Mall, ​bought milkshakes at Jonny Rocket's, and headed off to a stand-up comedy show called Laughing Stock. It was a very fun and filled night; Andrew and I didn't get to bed until 1am....and that's saying something because I am usually the one in bed by 9. 

I am glad we have good friends and family here in Utah. I love spending time with other couples and hearing about their lives. It is always great to catch up with friends. 

PS: I am realizing how TERRIBLE I am at taking pictures in the moment. So here is my goal: take at least one picture during each activity this week so that I can stop just looking for internet pictures to fill up my blog.  Done.

I love General Conference. Church in pjs and delicious breakfast feasts doesn't get much better. However, even more than that, I love hearing from modern-day prophets and apostles about what the Lord would have me focus on in the next 6 months. I love that almost immediately following the conference, the talks are available on the Mormon Chanel app. It has become a morning ritual to listen to at least one talk every morning as I do my hair and makeup.

This conference, I felt that one big focus was on family. (I'm not ready for a kid just yet, so remove that knowing little grin from you face.) For me, there were simple yet powerful messages of how I can make and retain a strong marriage. I, of course, want to be a wonderful wife to Andrew, and so I'm constantly looking for ways I can better myself and be more loving to him.  In fact, just this morning I listened to President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk about how to save our marriages, families, and relationships. See it here. 

Yes, General Conference is always a spiritual boost for me. I can hardly wait to get the new Ensign and start studying the talks, highlighting favorite quotes, studying the words, and more fully applying the teachings. 

Speaking of spiritual boosts and marriage, Jeremy and Stacey got married on Tuesday, April 5! Yay!!!! It was a beautiful day. They were sealed in the Bountiful temple.

As I listened to their sealer teach them, I thought back to what President Greene (our sealer) counseled us on our wedding day. I really don't remember a lot, but there are a few key pieces of advice that I do recall.

He talked a lot about the sacredness of the temple. Obviously our marriage and sealing are only validated through the priesthood power and sealing ordinances available solely in temples. This alone makes them a very important place for Andrew and I. But he challenged us to look a step further and go to the temple often as a couple to receive heavenly guidance and peace in our lives. I'll admit, we haven't been great at fulfilling this piece of advice. But after listening to an inspiring conference talk that mentioned temple attendance, we are going to plan it first in our monthly plans so that we can get in the habit of serving in the temple and reaping the blessing that come there.

The second piece of advice both Andrew and I really remember was that of service. I remember he said "Serve God, serve in your callings, serve your children, but most importantly serve each other." Service is a key way to retain and increase in love for each other. We have both seen that this is true as we have settled into our daily routine, and it is a beautiful thing. 

Yes, going to Jeremy and Stacey's wedding was especially wonderful because it let me relive the day Andrew and I chose each other for forever. What a beautiful memory.