General Conference & a Case of Hives

We always anxiously look forward to General Conference. But given our current situation of such a different future than what we've been used to, we were really really looking forward to the inspiring and comforting messages given by our modern-day apostles and prophets. Saturday, we watched from home and I went to Star's baby shower with Stephanie while Blaine went to Priesthood session.

Going to miss them!

But Sunday, we were privileged enough to find tickets to go to the first session with Mike O'Day (who just came back from spending 10 months in Madagascar working on his non-profit) and Michele.

 

Unfortunately, we couldn't try to find tickets for the last session. Michele got sick after lunch and my hives got really bad. I got hives late Saturday night, but was still determined to go to General Conference since this will be the last opportunity we have to go in person. I had planned for the Buhlers to watch Rue so that she wouldn't be stuck in her crate all day (thanks guys) and packed an awesome picnic lunch for in-between sessions. I was going no matter what! The itching wasn't that bad thanks to Benadryl, but I still looked pretty bad. I dressed in a long skirt and long-sleeved shirt to keep them unexposed to sunlight. It was pretty warm that day and the heat made them get worse. I guess the clothes weren't as protective as I thought. So we had to take Michele home and head back home to get this situation under control!

My whole  body looked like this

Even though everything didn't turn out as planned, it was still an awesome weekend filled with uplifting messages that I really needed. To listen or read the talks, click here. And Rue seemed to have a blast with her friends Tess and Ace. When we picked her up, she fell asleep in the car and stayed knocked out for the rest of the day!

 

 

We still don't know what caused the hives. We think it might have been some clam chowder soup that I ate Saturday night or exposure to Star's cat at her baby shower (I am highly allergic to cats), but I've never had hives before! Thankfully, they were completing gone by Tuesday. Anyway, it was a great weekend and we got to spend it with a lot of friends! On top of seeing Mike and Michele, we went to Comedy Sportz with Ryan and Kailyn Friday night and Jocelyn and Alec had us over for dinner after conference was over (thank goodness because I really didnt feel like cooking!). So glad that we've been able to hang out with our dear friends before we graduate!

Work

I have really enjoyed working at CompleteSpeech. I love blogging about worthy causes and information. I love trying to figure out how to increase the amount of "Likes" on our Facebook page and followers on Twitter. I love trying to engage our followers with the content I post. I love being part of a small business and being involved in so many details of the company. It really is fun. All of my co-workers have welcomed me and made me feel at home. So when I told them that we'd be moving to Florida and then to who-knows-where after, I was sad to say the least. But they have been so nice as to let me work for them remotely at least until the end of May. One of my projects has been to host a social media giveaway, and that is currently going on right now. So they want me to at least finish that project. Depending on how that experience of working remotely goes and the needs of the company, they might want to keep me around after that!

More good news came to us that very same week when I told them I'd be leaving. I had been applying to several jobs in Miami because I didn't want to be doing absolutely nothing while Blaine is gone. So I applied to some SLP-A jobs and other office jobs. I think that being all the way in Utah and not available for an in-person interview really turned people off. But finally, I was hired by My Speech Theracy Center, Inc. as support staff! I'll be working full-time at an office that is relatively close to my mom's house, 2 miles away from where my Tia and her family lives and really close to where my sister works (meaning hour lunches and quick shopping trips together). I am so excited to work here and start as soon as we're settled in Miami! So far, my boss has been extremely nice and the office seems to be like a fun place to work at (they have 2 company/therapy dogs in the office!).

Even though this whole experience has been pretty nervewrecking and unsettling for me, it is all coming together just fine. I have been able to sense Heavenly Father guiding us. Every time I'd talk to my mom about how stressed, scared and nervous I was, she would always say "Dios aprieta pero no ahoga", meaning that God won't deal you with more than you can handle. I have grown up hearing this since I was small and everytime she has been right.

Lazyman Ironman

Last semester, I failed at completing the Lazyman Ironman...and was so bummed about it. So I was ecstatic when I heard that they would be doing it again this semester. I signed up and had much support from Kailyn who signed up as well. If it weren't for her motivation, I don't know if I would've finished it! The Lazyman Ironman is an event where you complete all the events of an Ironman, but in one month. It may not sound that challenging, but it really is! The hardest thing for me to do was the swimming portion. I was so bad! The biking wasn't too hard. But it was just a lot of miles...and I think biking can be pretty boring at times. But anyway, I'm so glad that I finished since this is probably the only form on an Ironman that I will ever do :)

 

The front and back of the shirt.

 

Sidenote, for those of you who wil be staying at BYU, they host an event called Run for Your Life that is awesome. I was seriously excited when I first heard about it and seriously bummed when I was too late to sign up. Anyway, you have an entire semester to run 150 miles...and the best part is that you can win an intramural shirt! Anyone who has attended BYU knows that those are highly coveted. Being that I am not an athletic girl, I never even dreamed of getting one. I was just proud enough when Blaine won one :) But gosh now that I realized I could've gotten one, I am so disappointed! So to save other people any disappointment, run for your life and get that intramural shirt!

Easter in Idaho

For Easter this year, we decided to visit the fam in Idaho. We hadn't visited them at all this semester, due to Blaine's Saturday group meetings and me having to work on holidays. So we REALLY missed them. We had a great time while we were there, as always. It was so nice to just relax and be with family. Blaine got to help Grandmom, Pop Pop and Aunt Jan with some projects, which he loves doing. Of course, we were spoiled by Aunt Jan's awesome cooking. She even taught me how to make a copycat version of the Cheesecake Factory's brown bread. It was so deliciously good.

 

Rusty and Rue played like crazies the whole. She was pooped by the time we left.

Playting tug-o-war

 

 

Can you tell she had fun?

 

On Easter Sunday, we had a lovely dinner and had fun being the Easter Bunny and hiding so many eggs for Mekhi, Aiden and Cage. I also got to see Race. He is such a big baby (sad that I didn't get a picture of him). The egg hunt was tons of fun and the kids were having a blast. This was our first Easter in a long while where we had kids around. It makes it so much more fun.

Grandmom and PopPop

 

So it's hard to believe that that was our last trip to Idaho (at least for now). We do hope to come back for visits or meet up with the Idaho clan when they visit Delaware in the summer. But man, we're going to miss them tons! Even though Declo is such a tiny town, we love visiting there. It has always been a place for us to relax and be loved our family. I'm so happy that I had this opportunity to become close with this side of Blaine's family and to hear all the family stories from the mouths of Grandmom and Pop Pop. I'm so grateful that we've had them near us these past 4 years. Even before we were engaged or married, they always welcomed me and treated me like family! I love them so much.