Starting over

I thought I would start over with this blog because I wasn't really into it before. Between my own personal journal, facebook, and phone calls to catch everyone up on what's going on with us (including me!) I guess I feel like I can't keep up with it all, and I find myself with hardly any time to catch up with my parents and siblings, let alone my extended family! I'll try and make a brief summary of our lives since we've been married, for anyone who is interested to know...

Dave and I got married on October 16th, 2008 in the Bountiful, UT temple (Thanks to all for coming and for your gifts and congratulations, and to Allison for taking such beautiful pictures!). We had met through my sister and Dave's best friend, and we had known each other for years mostly with only a brother-sister relationship and finally started dating in April, six months before we got married.

I still consider myself the luckiest girl in the world and am glad to be past those engagement days when I was terrified he would lose interest in me. Now he's stuck!! We went to six flags, the beach in L.A. and disneyland on our honeymoon and have had a wonderful 9 months of marriage since then. 

(David with the celebrity we sat next to in first class on our honeymoon flight, Hayden Christensen!)

I lost my job at an orthodontic office in November and started working very part time at Macaroni Grill with David, while he was also juggling his last semesters of school, soccer practices and games, and a very high maintenance wife.

David graduated this april from BYU in Broadcast Journalism with several months of anchoring experience on the BYU daily news show. He made a great transition to an internship at ABC Channel 4 in Salt Lake City, which he is doing currently and getting closer to finishing it up as August gets closer.

David is also continuing to juggle his Macaroni Grill job, soccer, and keeping me on the right track.

Around the same time between March and April, I scored two great jobs which I am still working, ranging between 50-70 hours a week (thus, the lack of time for me to update a blog). It's exhausting, but I'm happy to take some of the responsibilities that David has been burdened with, and carry some of the load. Especially in this situation where we don't have any kids.

A lot of change has happened as well since we got married, like I always knew it would, but some of it was still pretty heartbreaking for me, one who hates change and unfamiliar things more than usual. I spent my first Christmas away from my family and home in Oregon last which was hard.  My forever friend and beautiful sister Stacey and her husband Kyle moved far away to Arizona a couple months ago and it's been pretty quiet since then. My baby brother David has graduated high school and is coming to BYU in the fall and preparing for a mission (not necessarily heartbreaking, but strange), and we had to leave our cute little newlywed apartment a little under a week ago. That was really hard for me, not just because it was such a happy, cozy little place that we shared such fun times in, but also because I always dreamed about being married and the first place we would live, and leaving it signifies the end of an era, the close of our "newlywed status" and the fact that I'm no longer a "bride", but a "wife". And of course I love being a wife, but it pulls me off cloud 9 and into the reality that is that we have a future to plan and work towards and reminds me again that I am getting older every day.

Because of all the work we've been doing, Dave and I made a point to set aside some money for a reward trip this month. So for my 21st birthday, we will be in Las Vegas relaxing at the Mirage pool, shopping, and eating at fancy restaurants and shortly after that we'll be in Oregon for a beach trip and a boating trip with my family. Just the thought is the only thing getting me through my 13 hour work days:S 

In the meantime, we have moved in with David's sweet mom, Roxanne, to save money until Dave finds a reporting/anchoring job anywhere (any leads, please let us know!!). We are mostly packed up still from the move and flexible to go anywhere, anytime.

My hair is blonde now also, which is a shock for those of you who are used to the dark Julie look, but I'll post some pictures of our trips and you'll all be able to see! I love you all and apologize for not being able to catch up with anyone. My goal is to update this at lease once a month. We'll see if I can keep up this time!

Also, here is a video I made to practice with my apple editor. It's not the best, but I had to hurry and finish it before the Leybas' moved to Arizona. I love and miss my family so much!