We Did It!

We've survived the most intense and crazy semester of our lives. It's been such a whirlwind of stress and fun and random cold, snowy days. But now we have a semester off with only work to worry about which we plan on enjoying to the fullest!

A few things that have helped us survive this last week of school:

• Prayers. Heavenly Father really helps out.
• Watching The Office from start to finish. (During homework, at 1am, with breakfast...) We're on the very last season and it hasn't even been a week. Thanks Michael Scott and friends.
• Oreos & milk for breakfast.
• Christmas lights. Something about the ambiance of our living room with the tree and lights made it much nicer.
• Trying to be positive. Sounds easier than it is!
• Letting the house be messy. Sometimes that's just how it needs to be for a little bit. 
• Lots of love and support. We try to support each other and encourage each other to keep going. That helps a lot.
• Anchorman 2. Perfect stupid laughs to de-stress. (Bats are the chicken of the cave.)

Now we are most excited to go home to California for some 70 degree sunshine and Christmas with family. We leave tomorrow!! 

Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and New Years!

The Little Engine That Could.

It's so hard to focus on the joy of going home to California for Christmas where there's warmth and family and In N Out when finals and end-of-semester nightmare assignments are raining over our heads like a black cloud. We are so fried that it's hard to even wake up knowing that your entire day is going to be insanely busy.

But of course there is ALWAYS time to blog.

It is warming up from the negatives and single digits here in Rexburg to some 30 degree weather which feels like summer in comparison. That's a positive note to the stress. Also we're seeing the second Hobbit movie at midnight tonight which should be really fun and a little bit of relaxation.

We really like midnight showings.

We're grateful we have the opportunity to go to a great school and be able to have awesome jobs and tons of blessings. Lucky for us, college doesn't last forever and finals week does end and life goes on. So don't consider this post a complaint. It's more our own self-discoveries to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

One more week. I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...

We Like to Party.

Last night we had our FIRST EVER Faldmo Christmas Party in our little basement and it was a total success! Candy Cane Spoons, Wrap-Off, egg nog, and lots of yummy treats! Our friends Steven & Blythe ended up bringing an entire medicine cabinet as their white elephant gift, and we gotta say, that's a first! It was totally fun and we couldn't ask for more fun people around us as we finish off our first holiday season as a married couple. Rexburg is definitely a frozen tundra, but it helps being around cool people!! (Pun definitely intended.) We loved hosting a party and we hope to do it more! Valentine's Day? :)

Happy Christmastime!

We're very proud of our homemade ugly sweaters.

  Stephen & Blythe

 Beth & Tom

 Shawn & Bethany

 Brett & Gidianny

 Jared, Lydia, & Heather

Lydia was very concerned about the intensity of the wrap-off.

 Julio & Ali

(I had to creepily steal this off Ali's Facebook because I deleted all the pictures

off my camera card in my OCD before I realized I forgot to save theirs...

but this is totes cute!)

Veggie Week!

This week we embarked on a journey to be "weekday vegetarians" where you eat like a vegetarian during the week and on weekends it's free game. We wanted to incorporate healthier meals with veggies into our diet and less meat, trying to follow the Word of Wisdom which is a Mormon thing that "encourages us to eat plenty of the fruits and vegetables that are in season, plenty of grains and a moderate amount of meat." mormon.org/beliefs/commandments (Also no drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc. But we're good on that end.)

Lucky for us, we created a few delicious meals and snacks from scratch and it was really fun! Definitely got us thinking more creatively. Except yesterday Steff was feeling sick and down, so we gave up and split a Costa Vida Sweet Pork Burrito and were in heaven. Then today we ordered pizza. Can't say we're not disappointed that our inner fat kids won this round, but we'll keep trying to eat less meat, more veggies and fruit, and healthy stuff! We at least like eating it which is more than a lot of people!

And tomorrow we're throwing the first ever Faldmo Christmas Party and it's going to be RAD!! We'll be sure to take pictures and blog all about it. We have some sweet games and prizes and sweaters and other awesome stuff! Our tiny basement is going to be filled with crazy Mormons drunk on non-alcoholic eggnog and sugar.

Anyway you should all try veggie week! It helps you realize you don't have to eat meat so often. We are going to try again soon. AND here's a few of the yummy things we had this week...

 Mashed sweet potatoes are one of our favorite healthy treats/side dishes!

Homemade whole wheat pizza crust with pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella, a little cheddar, and red onion! YUM! 

Tomato soup and mozzarella grilled cheese.

Homemade granola bars with cranberries, pecans, and honey! MMM good!

The Best Turkey You Ever Had.

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure did, with TONS of food and the best dang turkey ever! Definitely the best part is the second and third turkey dinners after the initial holiday feast.

Ours was spent in Utah with family. Jon's parents even came up from California so it's always good to see them! There was so much extended family that we had our dinner in a dance studio! That was a first. Instead of a post-dinner nap, we went and saw the new Disney flick Frozen afterwards and that was SO GOOD. Totally loved it, our new fave. 

Spent Friday overcoming our food coma and went and saw the Temple Square lights. That was pretty as always, and not too cold which is a plus! Of course we had to have In N Out and some Sweet Tooth Fairy Cakebites before we left to come home. We definitely ate way too much and had one too many sugar rushes, but we're determined to work it off before Christmas treats roll around.

All in all it was a good little getaway. Now it's back to the grind of the last 3 weeks of school. 

Heaven help us.

 Our post-dinner faces.

If you put your hand on your hip, it makes you look skinnier! (Photo fact.)

 We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Desmond and had plenty of treats and jokes to go around.

 The lights on Temple Square!

 In N Out and the tough, scruffy husband.

Saw some deer across the street when we visited Jon's aunt in the [beautiful] mountains of Bountiful. They weren't even scared of us. They were HUGE.

Hand-Me-Down Trees & Choco-Chip Cookies.

The time has come for us to put up CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS! We've had a few lights up in our living room, but our lovely aunt up here in Rexburg let us borrow a hand-me-down tree, so we stuck some lights and garland on it and we feel pretty dang festive! Also wrote "husband" and "wife" on some Wal-Mart stockings and hung em under the window. Some might say you HAVE TO wait until after Thanksgiving for decorations, but it's so late this year! Who wants to wait that long?!?!?! Not us.

Our house is also filled with the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies! Because when you're home sick from church, it's the only remedy. That and naps.

We're heading down to Salt Lake for some family, Thanksgiving, and adventures this week, which are much needed because being in Rexburg too long makes you a little crazy. Then we'll be carpooling with friends down to California for Christmas and New Years which will be extra fantastic!! Warm, sunny Christmas! Don't be hatin!

Last night we saw Catching Fire and freakin it was amazing! Luckily we own the 3rd book so we're taking turns reading that. Jon has to read the first two still but how can you wait after seeing an epic movie like that! The next book series that will be turning into a movie soon that we must read is Divergent. Click the link; looks cool. We just bought the 1st  book so we're stoked!

Also our cat Boo has gotten a little insane lately biting us and being loco, but we think she just needs more play time. She's an indoor cat so if you don't tire her out she gets psycho. We're working on getting the laser pen out more since she loves it and runs around like a maniac. However, she refuses to do drugs because we bought her catnip and she's terrified of it. We love our drug-free feline.

That's it for us in our little basement. More to come after the holiday.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

-The Faldmos

The Newlywed Fifteen.

Couple post! 

Just so you can keep track...Steff & Jon

We know that there is such a thing as "Freshman Fifteen" when you go to college for the first time and gain 15 pounds. But we have also discovered the same thing happens as newlyweds! Not exactly 15 lbs yet...but getting close.

So here is the deal-e-o, this is most uncool. We are not going to have this become a newlywed twenty and then thirty. We are quick to react to this epidemic and have made the decision to make "life style changes" so we can change the current circumstances.

We aren't sticking to any particular diet trend, but instead going with the WOW (aka Word of Wisdom) slash trying to stay in shape via exercise! We're already sore from day 1 of our Pinterest workout (try it, it's intense) and plan on being healthy and happy starting now and continuing forever!!!!

The best part of this is not the blog we can write about, it's NINJA ULTIMA!!! Sounds pretty rad right? Well it is, for those of you that don't want to have to put a down payment on a blender this is the Blendtec's cheaper cousin. We just made our first delicious smoothies this morning and thanks to my 9 months of rigorous smoothie training at Jamba, they were amazing!

We aren't telling you all to become food Nazis...in fact we still enjoy the occasional cookie. (I love baking!!) But join us, especially you wedded lovers, on a journey to a healthy, long-lasting life!

-The FaldMOs

Date Night Hangover.

No, we did not get drunk. We just had an epic date night that forced us to sleep in until noon.

Thursday night was tons of fun. I came home to Jon sitting at the kitchen table with homemade burgers and sweet potato fries, and 80s love songs playing in the background. Perfect much? We even cracked open a bottle of Martinelli's and pretended we were the fanciest, most romantic couple around.

Then we had some pumpkin pie and made awesome shirts for the Thor 2 premiere! I'm grateful I have a husband who enjoys doing silly creative things with me.

To get pumped for the movie we went rock climbing which was way fun. It's definitely a tough exercise but it's super enjoyable. Which I don't say about many exercises...

Thor 2 was epic. I loved it. Seemed like it went pretty fast and there wasn't as much fighting as I thought there should be, (it was actually leaning more towards a comedy), but I loved it. Loki is the most enjoyable character of all the superhero movies! Seriously.

So now it's Saturday and we are having PANCAKES because it seemed like I craved em every Saturday so now it's just like a mini tradition.

Also, Jon just put together a bed frame that was broken and he assumed I was posting something on Facebook about how attractive he is working with tools...so now I'm posting it on our blog. What a stud.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Steff

It's OUR Life Now!

Ever since getting married I've had this wandering thought of why the heck I am still blogging about myself and my life without letting my husband in on the action! After all, we're a team now. So with a little revamping, My Pink and Sparkly Life is now The Faldmos Happy Life!! We'll be updating individually and together and it'll be a really good read. So look forward to more interesting updates and always enjoyable stories of our life as The FALDMOS! 

-Steff

Novembray.

My Christmas lovin (and sass) began at an early age. 

Welcome to a new month! New holiday, new weather, and new warm clothes to break out!

It's November, also known as Novembray to people who like to change words around and make them cooler. It's the hipster in me.

I am still too excited for Christmas too early in the season, but it don't matter. I've got some lights up in the living room and the bedroom so the ambiance is already filling our house. I asked husband when I could put up our Christmas tree...he said after Thanksgiving when the normal people do. I'll keep working on him.

Currently we've enjoyed cooking meals together, watching Master Chef Junior and Shark Tank, spending at least one night a week laying in bed for hours talking and hanging out with no distractions, and this week we planned our future kids names. We wanted our first girl to be named Rosario after Jon's mission, but I was pretty frustrated after spending 30 minutes trying to figure out a kid name after my mission. Nothing to do with Temple Square worked out...oh well. Guess we could name one Homeless since there were plenty of bums around.

Life is good and I'm excited for Novembray! It's one month closer to Decembray which is CHRISTMAS!

-Steff

Christmas Before Halloween.

Once upon a time, Halloween was my most FAVORITE holiday ever. This year is different for some reason. Jon and I both have 2 costumes, one for the day, the other for our church Halloween Party...(which is Nov. 1st so.....huh?) But I'm still more stoked for Christmas than I've ever been.

I'm guessing it's the newlywed giddyness or the fact that I've consumed so much pumpkin flavor I'm turning orange, or maybe it's the white Christmas lights that I already bought for our living room. Whatever it is, I feel the Christmas spirit in OCTOBER and I'm ready to put up a tree and sing some holiday tunes! Not to mention the slightest peek of winter has begun today with the bit of snowfall we've had! It's exciting, and I'm ready for the day I can celebrate the Christmas holiday without judgement. (Black Friday, come quick!)

I don't even need turkey and stuffing this year, just bring on the eggnog and peppermint.

Let the Fire BURN!

Well, I am just SHOCKED at how much influence my blog post about being Mormon has had. I usually post my blog on Facebook for my friends and family to read, but never in a million years did I think over 35,000 people would read it in just 5 days. I've been bashed by ex-Mormons and anti-Mormons alike, as well as some just trying to show me that I am clearly blinded by the emotional comfort of being Mormon. There have also been really good comments and feedback that has warmed my heart and made me smile.

Overall, I'm glad I could share my testimony with so many people. I felt inspired to write it and I know Heavenly Father wanted me to. I'm not a perfect person but I definitely don't regret sharing what I believe. I encourage you all to share what you believe, too!!!

And just so you know, I'll keep using my blog as my public journal about my crazy life, with a hint of my testimony here and there. Just wanted to share how AWESOME I think it is that a little post I wrote sitting on my couch one Thursday night has gotten the attention of so many people! And even the negative just helps me see how true it is. :)

It only takes a spark to get a fire going! So light a fire and share some of your testimony through a blog or Facebook or Instagram...anything! We've got the tools to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ like WILDFIRE!

10 Reasons You Should Be Mormon.

DISCLAIMER: This post is meant to only share what I believe and invite you to learn more. Please do not take offense!

Most people know that I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since that's a mouthful, we are also nicknamed "Mormons". That is only because we read The Book of Mormon alongside the Bible. It's more record of Jesus Christ, only it takes place in ancient America. It is an awesome book that has changed my life! But the main reason I'm writing this post is because I LOVE being Mormon and I want you to know why! So here are 10 reasons YOU should be Mormon, too!!! (There are billions more, but 10 seemed like enough.)

1. Jesus Christ is the center of our faith. A lot of people believe we don't worship Jesus Christ...but we do! (Just check out the church's full name.) We believe in the same Jesus Christ that other Christian faiths believe in. He is the Son of God and died for our sins.

2. God still speaks to the world through a prophet. Remember in the Bible when God called prophets? Well guess what?? He still does! There is a living prophet today named Thomas S. Monson, and there are also 12 apostles. Joseph Smith was the first modern-day prophet who was called by God to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth after years of people creating their own faiths. The only way you can know there's a prophet is through listening to what he has to say and praying to know for yourself.

3. The Book of Mormon is MORE evidence of Christ! In a world of people with little to no faith in Jesus Christ (although there are many who do believe), it's such a blessing to have another testament of Jesus Christ in book form, just like the Bible! The Book of Mormon is the second witness that proves of Christ, and both can be read side by side to learn more about who He is and how we can be like Him. It rocks! Plus, it's much easier to understand because it hasn't been translated a million different ways and times like the Bible! (Only once!)

4. No paid clergy. Most faiths have a paid bishop or pastor, and that's their life career. Our 14+ million members worldwide, from the prophet to the bishops to the members, NO ONE is paid. It is because of our faith in Christ and the order which God creates His Church that we are all willing to volunteer much of our time to it. We also follow the commandment of tithing, where 10% of our income goes towards building churches and temples, feeding the poor, and other church organizations. Plus the church is exactly the same everywhere in the world!!! As it should be. (To help settle some of the dispute, a small stipend for living expenses is served to the prophet and apostles. However, most have retired from successful jobs when they are called. There are also jobs associated with the Church media and such. What I was getting at is that we don't have people that go to school to become prophets and apostles and bishops and that becomes their job. They are called by God. Just wanted to clarify.)

5. Biggest missionary program EVER! There are currently about 74,900 missionaries throughout the world in 405 missions. None are paid, they don't get to choose their destination (the prophet and apostles do that), they go for 18 months to 2 years, and start as early as 18 years of age. We even have to save our own money to serve! Why do we do it? Because we know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ and will bring more happiness and peace to your life than you can ever know otherwise! That's why I did it.

6. Death does NOT separate families. God put us on this earth in families so we can learn and grow together. We all have a need for a family unit where we can learn how to avoid the evils of this world and become strong. Satan is constantly attacking the family today because it is the most important thing in our lives. But would God put us here in families just to break them apart at death?? Of course not! That's why when we are married it is not til death, but for all time and eternity. This is done in the 141 temples around the world, where families are being united every day.

7. Temples!!!!!!!!! You've probably seen a temple in a picture or real life, but they aren't just pretend castles. In ancient times, God commanded His people to build temples to perform sacred ordinances, like marriage which I mentioned above. With the restoration of His church through the prophet Joseph Smith, temples became a commandment once again. They are beautiful and the House of the Lord on earth. You can feel the peace there even just walking around the grounds.

8. Authority from God. No one can just stand up and decide they have authority from God to start a church. That's what people thought in the days after the death of Christ and His apostles. Many churches were formed and people had this idea that they could start a church however they wanted. Some had good intentions as well. But that authority that was given by God to baptize, preach the gospel, basically run His church on earth, was brought back! Now it lies in our church, because God restored it through a prophet just as He always has.

9. We aren't perfect but we have the same goals! Lots of people think members of our faith are supposed to be perfect robot clones of each other! At least, that's what it feels like sometimes. Nobody is perfect, and everyone in our religion (or any other for that matter) struggle with something. We may not always follow our faith perfectly, and we make mistakes, but most of us share that same goal: to try to follow the example of our Savior and be united as families for all eternity.

10. HAPPINESS FOREVER! I am in no way going to say that being a Mormon means no trials. FALSE. But, we can handle our hard times and our struggles so much easier with the knowledge we do have. Happiness is so much more abundant when we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and try to be better everyday. People often ask me how I can be so happy all the time, and it's because I know where I came from, why I'm here, and where I'm going.

So, ready to be Mormon???! Well maybe not yet, but you can know for yourself if all these things I've said are true by learning and praying.

Request a FREE COPY of The Book of Mormon by clicking here, or even better invite the missionaries to come share more with you by clicking here! If those are too intimidating, check out the website below to learn more and even chat with missionaries online. You won't regret it.

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE????

www.mormon.org

Here's the Book of Mormon ONLINE! :) https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng

**For all those who have things to share, THANK YOU! I appreciate all the positive and not-so-positive feedback! :) I didn't realize how many people would end up reading this and I'm extremely grateful! But just know, I WILL NOT post rude, bashing, or vulgar comments. I moderate all of them. If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all. THANKS AGAIN!

A Dolla Make Me Holla!

Life has been good for our little family. Boo is the craziest cat ever but we love her (in a not creepy cat obsession way) and school is kicking our butts! We are still trying to find the balance between school, church, work, marriage, money, the whole shebang. I wish there was a secret recipe to it all, but I feel like everyone has their own way of dealing with it.

On the plus side, Jon got a new job at a hot chocolate place opening here soon. I'm excited for him since he super hated working at a call center. Who wouldn't?! He was really stressed last week so I surprised him with TONS OF CASH! Ha. (Not really, it's all fake dollar store money but it was still pretty cool.) Plus some movie goodies and Iron Man 3 from RedBox for a night of relaxation. It was nice and it made him happy.

Well, money is getting tight (we bought 6 boxes of mac n cheese this week at 69 cents each...budgeters!), spiders are making their way into our house to avoid winter which is really unpleasant for me (plus Boo just plays with them she doesn't even kill them...rude), and our ceiling leaked in our living room since we're in a basement and the upstairs neighbors decided to wash their tub last night!! What the?? But we are so blessed. Things are never perfect but that's what makes life so good. It's stuff we'll laugh about eventually.

Holy crap, Boo just did like 5 extremely fast laps from around this couch I'm sitting on to the kitchen and back. I think she drinks Red Bull when we aren't home.

Don't worry, be happy y'all.

OCTOBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just needed to quickly rant about October being the best month ever.

(Side note: having a cat is the best. Not because we are crazy cat people, but because we can make her do the most hilarious things!!!!!!!! Husband is making her freak out right now and it's hilarious. She thinks our couch is possessed I'm pretty sure.)

Anyways, October is the greatest time of year and I'll tell you why.

♥ Pumpkin flavored everything.
♥ Halloween movies. Scary and kid flicks.
♥ Straw mazes and haunted houses. Idaho has got those down.
♥ Zombies.
♥ Monster Mash on repeat.
♥ Candy until you can't candy no more.
♥ Dress up!!!!!!!! I take it very seriously. But no trampy costumes. Seriousy, that just ain't classy ladies.
♥ Pumpkin patches and hayrides.
♥ Brisk weather. Just enough to be bundled up but still be fashionable.
♥ If you're Mormon, it's all about General Conference month! If you're not, click here to figure out what the heck that is. It rocks.

Me: "Jon, I love October but I can't think about what else is great about it!!"
Jon: "The leaves changing colors?!?!?!? What have you never experienced October before?!?!?!!?!!!!"

♥ Pretty leaves.

So basically October rocks. What else do you love about it????

HAPPY AUTUMN!!

The Faldmos are Rocking Life.

Well it's been forever since I've updated, but with really good reason...I'm a wife now!

First off, the wedding was a success! I'm Mrs. Faldmo for eternity! Being sealed in the San Diego Temple was beautiful. It was so special that our family and close friends could come. We were just so happy! And why wouldn't we be?? We had only waited 4 long years for this day!!

After the ceremony we realized it'd be impossible to get wedding pictures at the beach like we wanted with Labor Day traffic, but that didn't phase us. We ate In N Out in the car together which was just what we wanted. My dress was so huge I piled 5 tons of tulle fabric onto my lap and used it as a table. I didn't dare eat inside, we would have needed 4 booths for me to fit!

The reception was awesome, but the entire day was the most humid and hot day of the year...or in Caifornia history. Of course right? Jon and I planned to jump in the pool at the end of the night, which we did. (Can't wait for pictures of that.) Also the caterer didn't show up, which normal brides would flip out about but obvi I'm not normal. I was bummed but we just decided to get a bunch of Little Caesars pizzas. Priceless. That actually made it even better. I know what our anniversary dinners will be!

Our honeymoon in Vegas was epic. We had an equal amount of laziness and adventure, and did the only thing I really wanted to do which was go on the New York New York roller coaster! It was awesome. One thing I did realize about Vegas if you weren't aware, everything is expensive but nothing is worth what you pay. (I guess that's why people gamble.) Blue Man Group was an amazing show though.

Now we're up at school trying to survive normal married life. I'm so grateful to spend every day with my best friend! Sounds so cheesy and cliche but it's seriously the greatest thing ever!!! He's a fantastic husband and I'm glad we survived all the ups and downs of the last 4 years to get where we are today. So stoked for forever with this guy.

Well, when wedding pictures arrive I will definitely post em. As for right now, check out our adorbs new cat we got! Her name is Boo since we love Halloween and are now pretending that's her birthday. She's a year old and sort of like Batman. By day she's a totally normal cat, but by night she's a part dog, part cat, part bunny that runs and jumps around like a lunatic. Fits in perfect with our crazy selves.

And yes, she has a pink collar with rhinestones and a matching tag with her name on it. Let's just say I am craving a baby but we need a couple years of happy kid-free married life first.

LOVING LIFE.

Who's in Charge Here????

Life is so good. I'm grateful I've had the opportunities I've had in life, especially when I'm taking a leap of faith.

Jon and I got engaged knowing that we have no money, I've got school debt, and we are basically going on 100% faith that everything would work out. The plan was I would work full time, Jon would go to school full time, and hopefully we'd make ends meet. I always felt anxiety about this plan for some reason.

Then today we were looking into my schooling and figured out I can be done in a little over a year. We felt really good about changing our plans, with only a couple more weeks til school starts, that I would finish for a year while Jon worked and only took a couple classes. It all fell into place! I got the classes I needed and my photography/videography business has been picking up a lot!! It's a giant blessing and we know it's because we have pressed forward with faith that we are doing what's right.

I love him so much. We are a match made in heaven and we can do anything together. I can't believe it's almost a week away! Time is winding down. We get to be together FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRR!

Moral of the story: life is good if you'll just have FAITH!!!!

14 Days is Chump Change.

We are just 2 weeks away from being Mr. & Mrs. Faldmo. Seems like we've waited forever for this day and yet it's coming up so fast! I'm ridiculously happy.

It's kind of crazy, we spend every single second together (not exaggerating) from morning til night and never get sick of it. It's been like this since the day we met. I'm sure it'll change a little bit after we're married for like 50 years, but then again I am marrying my best friend.

This has been a great summer of family time, our new love for puzzles, counting dips in the pool as a shower. It's a fun little vacation until reality sets in and we have big responsibilities again. But I'm excited to have challenges and experiences with Jon that come with being married. He makes me so happy and eternity with him is going to ROCK!!!!!!!!!!

Plus, look at these cool kids. We're pretty much the coolest people ever.

Not Til Death Do You Part.

Lately wedding bliss and stress has been abound, but I have felt inspired to share something with anyone who will read it!

Being LDS or Mormon, there are a lot of things people know or claim to know about our faith. However something a lot of people don't realize is how our marriages take place. Eternal marriage is one of the principles of my faith that gives me the sure knowledge this church is true.

In most marriage ceremonies, the words "til death do you part" are spoken. This is a tradition in many marriages and faiths, but it seems to be looked over by most. What does it mean exactly?

Now friends and strangers alike, don't be offended by what I am about to say. This is based on the knowledge and belief I have in my faith. "Til death" means just what it sounds like. Until death. Doesn't that seem awfully tragic? Why would we have marriages and families if they only lasted in this life?

The happy news I want to share is that because of Jesus Christ and the plan of happiness God has for us, we can be with our loved ones forever! God has once again required His people to build temples, just as in Bible times, to provide the means necessary to link heaven and earth, this life to the next, and that includes marriages.

I don't know exactly why I felt like I needed to share this today, but what I do know is that families are meant to last forever. I'm so grateful that Jon and I get to be married August 30th in the beautiful San Diego Temple (pictured above) where "til death do you part" will not be spoken but instead they will say...

"for time and for all eternity."

Click here if you would like to understand more about what I've shared.
And don't be shy, I love questions!

Happy August! For some reason I love this month! ;)

Adventures in San Diaaahhhhhgo and more!

Update from the SoCal summer adventures with Jon and Steffany!

Wedding plans have been coming together! Can't believe we're only 4 weeks out. It's crazy how fast time flies. My mom just left today from her week long visit. It was fun having her! We got to have my bridal shower which was really great, my in-laws did such a good job it was so fun. Finally my rustic beach wedding vision is coming alive! I honestly had no idea if it would since I couldn't pin point just what I wanted.

In today's news, Jon and I decided today was a great day for the beach and a little adventure! We drove down to Mission Beach in San Diego which is a cool place. A little beach mixed with a chill local scene of shops and food. Jon about went crazy with driving down there though. He's such a great fiance, always willing to do crazy things with me!

It was hilarious when we tried finding the local Rite Aid because all we wanted was some of their THRIFTY ICE CREAM! Seriously, best ice cream ever. Chocolate Malt Krunch is my favorite ice cream in the universe. We tried using BOTH of our iPhone maps for a good 20 mins to find it but we failed. Just went in circles over and over again. So we got some In N Out to ease our stress, and headed for a nice walk around Balboa Park. 

But we were getting too loopy for Rite Aid, so we finally found one near there and I ate the most delicious cone ever. It was so worth it. Balboa was fun and tons of people complimented Jon on his awesome Bruce Lee shirt. Man, I love him. Jon, not Bruce Lee.

The sunset on the way home was beautiful. Jon and I would scream at the top of our lungs every time it peeked over the mountains. It was pretty funny. I love how silly we are. And then of course, we ended up getting a flat tire 2 miles away from home, so Jon used his manly man skills to put on the spare while I shined the iPhone flashlight on him. It was a great end to our crazy adventurous day. 

Also we realized something, people are way rude to us when we drive because of our Idaho license plate. Totally not fair. We aren't from Idaho we SWEAR!

So that's the update on life as we know it. Can't wait to marry my best friend!!!!!!!! 

Wedding wedding wedding!

I can't seem to blog these days but it's because we've been keeping busy! Which is a really good thing.

Today we got our marriage license! It was $90 for a piece of paper that gives us permission to get hitched. Kinda crazy. That was exciting though.

Plus my mom is officially in California so tomorrow morning I get to see her and hang out for a week! I realize I haven't seen her for 6 months! I'm pretty stoked. 

Tomorrow is my bridal shower which should be fun. I didn't expect one so I appreciate my mom and his mom throwing it together.

All in all life is good. Wedding excitement, plans, and jitters fill the air! One thing I know is I am totally head over heels in love with my man and I am so grateful that I get to be his wife soon. What an awesome blessing to get to be with him FOREVER! He's amazing.

And just in case I get too distracted to post again, next time I'll be...

Mrs. Jon Faldmo!!!!! :)

Bye bye, Burgtown.

Jon and I are officially leaving Rexburg as single people! I can't believe how time flies and how excited I am to get home! And get married!! :) 

We are going to see Jimmy Eat World tonight too! Just a fun little concert before our long trek to So Cal!

It's been an emotional and stressful week, but we've survive and we are on our way to eternal bliss! 

Or something like that. :)

One More Week!

I'm just sitting here all content listening to Mr. Faldmo jam on the piano. 

We are so excited to get the heck out of Rexburg! The stress of the end is definitely obvious. We are so ready for no more roommates, no more living in separate places, no more hw assignments for a little bit. Even a break from jobs. Just wedding prep, beach trips, and lots of family time. Plus we've got Disneyland and Sea World planned! 

Yes, please! I love you, California! 

Can't believe I get to be his wife in 7 weeks! We've definitely waited long enough!! So stoked. Definitely gonna be the wedding of the century.

Just gotta push through 7 more days and we are outta hereeeeeeee!

5k, Lake, Demo Derby, Sunday Sickness.

Such an eventful Saturday we had! 

So eventful that I woke up this morning sick 

and feeling like I got hit by a bus.

We ran the Color in Motion 5K here in Rexburg which was totally fun.

However, I have ZERO running experience

and Jon and I hadn't exercised in at least a month.

(School and work got the best of us.)

Still I was able to run some, walk some, 

instead of walking it all like I predicted.

And it was way fun being covered in rainbow powder.

And that rainbow powder actually DYED my hair pink. 

Sort of a pink ombre look.

I washed my hair and saw it was pink and I am loving it.

Super fun summer hair, totally by accident!

Hopefully I can keep it around for as long as possible. 

Since we were committed to making this Saturday AWESOME, 

we headed over to the lake for some swim and sun.

I realized I'm terrified of legit swimming and can only do a doggy paddle...

...yeah, unashamed.

So my wonderful fiance taught me how to swim with his high school swimmer expert experience.

I did pretty well. :) 

Next task is to overcome my fear of going under water!

Then after a mini power nap (the sun sucked our energy),

we bought a couple of black cherry cream sodas (SO GOOD) 

and headed to the DEMOLITION DERBY!

I love the demo derby.

I go to school in farmer land.

There was some sweet action happenin! 

This was my fave car, #80. 

It was reppin the most delicious BBQ joint in all of Rexburg,

Blisters BBQ.

It's in a gas station so you THINK it's sketchy but in fact 

it's a party in your mouth.

I dream about their brisket daily.

And again, since I have the best fiance ever,

he knew I've been craving cotton candy since the 4th

so he hooked me up with some at the derby! 

:)

All in all, successful weekend. Today I'm feeling the repercussions, though. Woke up with a stuffy nose, sore throat, sinus headache, stomach ache, and overall achy body. It was totally worth it!! Plus it's survivable when you have a great guy willing to make you soup and hang out with you even though you're death warmed up.

Hope your holiday-ish weekend was FANTASTIC too!