.E.M.K.

May 23, 2009

2010-05-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

A year ago, we did this:

We came.

We ate.

We danced.

And the music plays on...

To Love and Be Loved

2010-04-11T15:32:00.001-07:00

I MET NIE NIE LAST NIGHT!!!

Here's how it went down:

After going to the movies last night, Eric and I stop by Sunflower Farmer's Market to do some shopping. We're in line and I'm swiping my card, typing in the PIN, when Eric says matter-o-factly, "Hey, there's Nie."

My stomach was in my throat. I looked up. Sure, enough. There she was, with her hubby, Christian, in the bakery section.

I lost all ability to understand what I was supposed to do next in my transaction:

Cashier: "Do you want cash back?"
Me: "What? Ummmm. Oh! No!"
Cashier: "Here's your receipt."
Me: Already walked away. Who can care about a receipt at a time like this?

Anyway, after much prodding, Eric convinced me to go up and introduce myself. Which I did, and I gave her a big hug. I hope I didn't hurt her hunchie! She introduced Christian and we shook his burn gloves. Amazing. Can I just say that Nie is beautiful?! She has a countenance about her. She really just glows and you can FEEL her sweet spirit. It feels calm and full of love.

While we were talking, it hit me like a ton of bricks:

This girl doesn't feel the same way as I feel about her AT ALL! She doesn't know me. She doesn't know the joy and strength I've found from her so many times. She doesn't know that I know her kids, husband, and family, and the way she feels about life.
Our relationship is completely one sided!!! And it made me realize something right then and there...How beautiful it is to have the wonderful relationships that I have; where each person is giving and receiving love, and finding joy through each other. I have my own wonderful, loving husband. He makes my life full and rich and worth living. I have my own quirky family, and when I go to their house, I feel peace and happiness. I have friends who help me see the goodness in myself and who sometimes need my help. They love me, and I love them.Meeting Nie made me realize just how wonderful my own life is and the people who are in it. It made me realize that my life is going to be an adventure and a journey. And I get to live and experience it all with the people I love. P.S. Go see ''Date Night". It's awesome.

Launching...

2010-04-05T19:08:00.001-07:00

MUCH sooner than I'd planned, but oh well!! Here goes!

Mallory Kerwin Photography
http://mallorykerwin.blogspot.com

My Testimony

2010-04-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow starts something we, as Latter Day Saints, refer to as General Conference. But it's not just for Latter Day Saints. People from any faith, from anywhere in the world, are able to attend, watch, listen, or read. It's the leaders of our church--from our President, to his counselors, to the apostles, and to the various worldwide area leaders--who we get to hear from. They teach us about things like the Atonement, our purpose in life, and how we can live with our families forever. Most importantly, they teach us faith in Jesus Christ.

So, it being Conference weekend and all, I figured this is a great time to share my testimony. Here it is. I'll try to keep it simple.

We are children of a loving Heavenly Father. His greatest desire for us is to have joy. That's it. So, through Christ, He created this earth and sent us here to experience lots of things: joy, sorrow, bitter, sweet, excitement, disappoinment, hunger, fatness, hot, cold, etc. All so that we could gain understanding and experience.

But, the most important reason Heavenly Father created this earth is so that we could have a chance to be tested. In order to ultimately achieve TRUE joy, we need to learn to choose the right. So He gave us commandments to live by. Some of those commandments are: not dating until you're 16, living a healthy alcohol and drug-free life, having faith, and forgiving others. There are a lot more. And they all tie together.

So here we are. On our little earth. Living our little lives. Some of us aware of the big plan of happiness, some not. But what's cool is Heavenly Father doesn't play favorites. He doesn't much care how much you know, where you come from, your culture, your career, or the color of your toothbrush. He doesn't give His blessings to just Catholics, just Mormons, just Baptists, just Atheists, or just the plain old apathetic. He loves ALL of His children equally and gives His blessings equally, provided we follow the commandments He's set forth.

One day, we will sit before Him and have an account given of how we lived our life here on earth. He will judge us with justice, but also with mercy. If we've lived according to His commandments, He will give us more than we can possibly imagine. We will be able to live with our families forever, we will be able to become like him. But most importantly, we will have pure and simple JOY. Unlike anything we've yet experienced.

And it will last forever.

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

-Matthew 11:28-30

If you want to know more, just ask.

Or go here: http://www.lds.org/

How to Get Fat

2010-03-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Eat, eat, and eat. Then sleep.

It seems that is all I want to do lately.

Seriously.

Someone give me a trough.

Alright, back to playing Donkey Kong! Eric and I are getting back in touch with our 10-year old selves and playing one of the best games ever invented.

This is when the S word is heard quite frequently in our house.

Today I Met...

2010-03-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

This girl:

Her name is Megan. Isn't she beautiful?

Small beans, you say? Maybe to some. But to those of us who are avid readers of NieNie Dialogues, you will know her as the founder and owner of The Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery in Provo! She said she saw Nie last night. I said I was jealous. Then we talked about cupcakes, of course. And her new grand opening in Draper! (For all you Salt Lake folks!)

I've ran into quite a few people at Tai Pan since I've worked there. Like the Burley's from WA, Shane's mom, some people I knew from New York, and people related to the prophet. It's great seeing people like that!

Still waiting for Nie to show up. And Donny Osmond. Apparently I missed him last month. Mother.

Almost!

2010-03-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

I almost did it. I got as far as putting on my entire workout ensemble. Problem is....I am still doing this:The other problem is....I don't feel bad about it. I went to sleep at 4:00AM people! FOUR AM. We got in bed at 11pm, but apparently there is a little something called early pregnancy insomnia? And let me tell you how freaking awesome it is.

When else do you get to stay up to:

- play Super Mario Brothers
- create Wii Mii characters resembling Paris Hilton and Oprah,
- watch the TV Guide channel for ten minutes because there's nothing good on and so every time it makes another round, you lower your standards just a little more and suddenly the Duggars' "18 Kids & Counting" sounds GREAT
- watch Twilight (a new low for me)
- play a few rounds of Mah Jong and win them all
- listen to songs you are ashamed to admit listening to (the playlist may or may not have included Ashlee Simpson)
- microwave and devour half a jar of Tostito's Salsa Con Queso
- feel sick 5 minutes later
- blogstalk every person you know...and don't
- find sweet desktop wallpaper for your Sony Vaio
- wonder if this means you will never get enough sleep for the rest of your life?

That's how awesome it is, people.

Which is why I'm still here on the couch. Cuz I kind of don't really care. About running around BYU's entire campus. It's cold. It's my day off. And I've got some Duggars to watch! (Ýes, I really am.)

The Sweetest Sound

2010-03-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Due to some complications, I went into the doctor on Thursday to see if the baby was okay. I got my very first ultrasound, where I got to hear the heartbeat! Wow. In all my life, that is the greatest sound I've ever heard. I'm only six weeks along, so I was very surprised to hear it! Unfortunately Eric was at work so he hasn't heard it yet, but he will soon! I felt completely relieved and started tearing up while the ultrasound tech was asking me questions. They also checked my HCG level and saw that it had gone up. So, don't fret! The baby is OK and I haven't had any more problems!

I've realized you can go through pregnancy one of two ways. You can either worry and fear every day that your baby will be okay, or you can give it up to God and trust in the best outcome. I started out doing the first, but on Thursday received some heavenly comfort. Ever since then, I just know our little baby is going to make it through.

BIG NEWS!!

2010-03-14T15:27:00.001-07:00

We are stoked! A little surprised (Apparently antibiotics and birth control don't mix. Who knew??) but we're so excited.

April 13 is when we will get to hear the heartbeat. The doctor's think I'm about 4-5 weeks along already! Crazy.

Lil' Baby Jane

2010-02-28T17:01:00.001-08:00

First baby shoot last week and BOY did I learn a LOT! Here are a few shots of sweet Baby Jane:

Dinner & Drama

2010-02-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

I gotta say, there's nothing more exciting than a healthy....debately un-healthy....dose of The Bachelor, paired with deliciously marinated-seared-and-broiled London Broil...and baked yams. Mmmm mmm.

Eric and I are in our usual 8:00-on-a-weeknight positions. On the couch. Lazy as can be. Alright, alright. Eric really has been working super hard doing his P90X workout....the way we both started falling in love! But aside from that, we're just chillin'.

Watching The Bachelor tonight, although wildly entertaining, makes me so grateful that I've found Eric. I'm grateful we get to sit here with each other, on the couch, doing absolutely nothing in complete contentedness. And that tomorrow is our 9 month anniversary.

Rock on.

A Minor Change in Plans

2009-12-03T09:32:00.001-08:00

For the past couple of days, Eric and I have been seriously considering Eric's entry into the Air Force. Scary. Crazy. Holy cow. We are going to talk to a recruiter today, just to get some more information and see if it's worth it.

Pros: School gets paid for, we get a housing/food/clothing allowance as well as a salary. Great benefits. I could get my schooling paid for. Insurance. TRAVEL!
Cons: um....hello!?!

Anyway, stay tuned til later tonight, where I'll have more details and hopefully some pics up.

Mom & Dad

2009-11-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

Mi Familia

2009-11-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

Well. I found yet another computer to load a trial version of Adobe products on. Which means, I can convert my RAW images into JPEGS so I can post again! Cause...what's the point of a post if you don't have any pictures?!

Here are just a few for now...because this computer literally takes 15 minutes to open a picture.

My sister, Hope!

(I'm thinking a little too much brightening on the eyes...) Oops!

The famma lamma.

We were all sitting around the house one Sunday, in pretty much our PJ's, when my dad decided we should take a family picture in the backyard. That being said, please ignore my drowned rat hair.

Emma, sister #2!More to come. Computer officially driving me insane now!

Job Update!

2009-11-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Thought I should probably do a little update. A couple of weeks ago I got a job! Woo hoo! I'm an assistant manager at Tai Pan Trading. Never heard of it? Me neither. Basically it's the mecca for all Utah Mormon moms who love to decorate EVERY square centimeter of their house. And when I say every, I mean every. Down to every last drawer pull.

It's closer to home, the hours are great, and WAY more fun/less stressful! Love it! Thanks for any prayers you sent our way :)

Also--Haven't been updating the blog cuz all my pictures are in RAW format and I haven't figured out a way to change them to JPG now that my Photoshop trial ran out. Oopsies!

Unemployed

2009-10-21T17:40:00.001-07:00

Yep, that's right. Yours truly is in need of a Jay-oh-bee. Anyone got any connections?

Introducing my 1st photo shoot!

2009-10-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'm SO grateful to these guys for being willing to help me with my very first photo shoot! Thanks D & B! Eric accompanied me and helped a ton!

P.S. I'd like to do two free photo sessions so I can get some practice. I'd really like to get some senior or engagement sessions, so if you know anyone in this category, send 'em my way :)

A text message

2009-10-13T08:36:00.001-07:00

This morning I woke up angry. It happens. It was the usual "I-hate-going-to-work-and-I-hate-when-the-alarm-clock-goes-off-and-I-still-have-to-take-a-shower-and-why-don't-we-have-more-money-I-can't-wait-until-I-won't-ever-have-to-work-again" mood. Nothin' new.

Eric is sweet. He is patient with my mood swings. Today I got a text message:

"Hello beautiful. I hope despite the waking up, you have a really happy day. I want you to know I'm proud of you for making those efforts educationally with photography, bettering yourself, and the work you put into our marriage. It never goes unnoticed and I love you for it so much. You're my best friend. Love you!!"

Escalante

2009-09-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Eric got the week before last off of work. I decided I was not OK with going to work while Eric got to sleep in for an entire week, so I got it off, too! We decided to go camping in Escalante. I went a couple years ago and loved it.

A little Escalantian background: 1.9 million acres of pure, untouched nature. There are red rock canyons, ancient Indian petroglyphs, waterfalls, scorpions, tarantulas, and some rugged 4WD high clearance vehicle only backroads. A moutaineer's paradise. I am a little ashamed putting these pics up. They do NO justice to the landscape.

There were tons of cows on the road out to Escalante.

You may not be able to see it, but theres a canyon in the lower right of the pic. Our campground was down in that canyon, to the far left. Coolest campground ever.

That's our tent!

Hiking is to Escalante what mullets and cut off shirts are to monster truck rallies. They both make the experience complete. Here's Eric filling up our Platypus bag. A MUST when hiking in the desert.
Who's excited??

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Hike #1

Lots of cacti and cactus fruit. We were brave and ate some of the fruit. It was actually pretty good. Mildly sweet and refreshing.

About an hour in. Destination: through the canyon you see behind us, eventually ending up at Lower Calf Creek Falls.

But first, Eric sees something on the ground....

....and picks it up.

We also saw some fish. See, there's three of 'em!

Another half hour and we make it.

Seriously, this water was frigid. The guy behind me was crazy. Although I think maybe he thought I was crazy, judging by the way he's looking at me.

All in a day's work.

We headed back for some good ol' R&R around the campfire, where Eric burned a huge hole in his Sanuks.

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Hike #2, 3, & 4

26 miles down an unpaved, 4WD-cars-only road is a wash with some amazing red rock canyons. There are three canyons in this particular wash. Here's the first one:

The second and third hikes are the more famous ones. Peekaboo and Spooky. They are slot canyons. And by slot, I mean, so narrow that you have to take off your backpack to get through some parts. And if you're slightly overweight, you might get stuck. And if it rains, even 2 miles away from these canyons, youre pretty much screwed. As in, dead. Flash floods are what kill people out here. Peekaboo isn't as bad:

That's looking back at where we came from.

This is towards the end of Peekaboo. It's narrow, but not as narrow as Spooky. I didn't even get any pictures of Spooky because the sky was turning gray and we pretty much hiked like the dickens to get out of there so we wouldn't die.

Here's a video showing you what it's like. The first two minutes are in Peekaboo. Right around the second minute is where he gets into Spooky.

Escalante in a nutshell!

Gross

2009-09-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

That is all I have to say about the what the world has become. It's 2am, and Eric and I are wired. We don't have work this week, so we're milking it. And it seems that the only thing that is on was the VMA awards.

First of all, I hate MTV. I feel gross when watch it. I hate how crude, vulgar, obscene, and uncensored it is. All it is, to me, is visual proof of how horrible most of society has become. Such a contrast to the peac and happiness the gospel brings.

I'm just at a loss for words at how terrible the world has become. This year's VMA's was a disgustingly perfect example.

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm starting to really be grateful for the Utah Bubble. I'm grateful for the good examples of those around me. There are so many here. For those of you who relentlessly strive to be forces of good in the world...THANK YOU!

Sometimes I Feel....

2009-09-10T16:27:00.001-07:00

like this is the story of my life:

Stop laughing, Dad.

Anywho, here are a few pics I took of my lil sis, Catherine. I don't have Photoshop, but when I do, and when I learn how to use it, watch out.

And for the road, one of my hubby.

Blgo Break

2009-08-19T13:35:00.001-07:00

Multiple times throughout the day I enjoy taking a blog break. Yes, I am a blogstalker.

I've been pretty busy and that's why there aren't too many pics up.

First things first, I just want everyone to know that I didn't get to go on the Nie hike. I am pretty much depressed about this. So...next topic.

Eric had his oral board interview with West Valley. We don't know the results, but they gave him a HUGE background check packet, so we figure that's a good sign. We were filling it out until Eric made a few good mistakes, so we hopped in the car at 11:00pm and went in search of a whiteout tape pen. Rite Aid didn't have it, Walgreeen's didn't have it, so we trekked across Orem to WalMart. Dude, Walmart is insane. You wouldn't think so at 11:15pm, but I swear, the whole town decided it was the prime shopping time. The worst part was the School Supply Shoppers.

I remember shopping for school supplies as a kid. I LOVED it. I loved picking out my pens--that usually took me the longest. And every few years, a new Brenthaven binder. I had a one track mind--having the perfect armada of supplies to impress all of my schoolmates and teachers.

I had not a clue. Not a CLUE how crazy people are when school shopping. It is literally every man for himself out there on the WalMart battlefield. Moms have this crazy look in their eye that I never noticed when I was a kid. You are one poor soul if you have to visit the office supply area for a whiteout tape pen during this craze. I was a little nervous. Howver, after some aggressive searching, exchanging of glares, and a few choice words muttered under my breath, we were in the clear. Yeah yuh!

Out in the parking lot, we saw a lady driving out of her parking spot, but there was a shopping cart in her way. Instead of getting out and moving the cart, or reversing out of the spot, she proceeded to move the cart out of her way with her car, leaving the cart in the middle of parking lot traffic. Pretty much, WalMart attracts only the most sophisticated customers. If you ever need entertainment, just go to WalMart. It's freakin awesome.

Break over.

Ahh.

2009-08-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

The sigh of relief. I took today off of work. Work is closed on Monday so that means a 4 day weekend! Perfect.

Things to Do Today

1. Wake up at 9:30am. That's the extent of my sleeping in abilities these days.
2. Rewash clothes and sheets that smell mildew-y because we left them overnight in the washer.
3. Find nice apartment complex maintenance man to jumpstart Eric's car so I could drive it to the repair shop.
4. Walk home from said repair shop and pray that we can afford whatever seems to be wrong with car.
5. Take a break.
6. Clean apartment.
7. Decide if I'm brave enough to go meet Nie tomorrow. (I get to cross it off my list! see ''10 Things'' entry) She's hiking the Y in lieu of her one year anniversary of the crash. Not gonna lie. I'm a little nervous and trying to decide if I can do this! What to say to someone who has had such an impact on your life. Words can't do it, I don't think.

UPDATE ON ERIC'S WEST VALLEY APPLICATION

Eric had his oral board interview yesterday. Now he has to get a background check turned in by the end of August and then they'll call us. And we found out there are about 100 applicants for 27 positions. Oh, I'm so nervous. So is he. We were both so confident, and we still are, but we can't help but freak out. What did they think? Why can't they let us know now?!

BAH!

I think I need to go to the Spanish Fork fair and supress my anxiety with a good ol' elephant ear...

You know you're hungry when....

2009-08-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

....conversation stops as soon as the dinner hits the table and resumes only after forks are laying on plates and bodies are slouched contentedly against the backs of chairs. We didn't have dinner until 8:00pm, so we were starving. Ahh, green enchiladas. How I adore you. Anything with cilantro and queso fresco is totally my mouth's best friend.

After dinner was interview practice time. Eric's interview with West Valley police department is this Thursday! Keep us in your prayers, k? I grilled him for at least a good hour. Hopefully the preparation will pay off! 'Cuz it's seriously all I can think about.

Aannndd....I might be getting a calling in our ward tonight! I'm guessing that's why the bishop asked to see me... Please don't be pianist! Dont' judge me. I love playing piano, but seriously, everyone makes me play. However, the great thing about living in the heart of Provo is that pretty much everyone plays piano. Fingers crossed.

First Photo Shoot

2009-08-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today was my 8 hour long, plus two hour travel time, photography workshop. I'm home and pretty pooped! It was a long day full of learning how to shoot completely in manual mode. That's right. No more automatic for me! We didn't take a lot of visually exciting pictures because the point of the class was to learn the basics. So, instead of posting 183,434 pictures of a vase in 234,235 different types of light, here are a few from the mock photo session.

During the lunch break, I headed up to the Bountiful temple. I'm never up in Bountiful, and I've never been its temple, so this was a good opportunity.

It was a long day, but I learned a ton so it was definitely worth it.

That's it for now!

the stuff dreams are made of...

2009-08-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

...that was Eric's way of describing 'The Melting Pot', which we so merrily visited for Eric's 24th birthday lastnight. I decided to spare my readers the documentation of food from my May post because we got the exact same thing, but that's just because it's the best thing on the menu!

We took our pictures in front of the Melting Pot sign. When it was my turn, I struck a few poses, until a bum came up with a huge grin on his face and said, "Keep doing it, I could watch you all day. She's a beautiful woman". That's when I said, "Creepy", and picture taking was deemed over.

On Monday, we went to Eric's parents house for the family birthday celebration. Outside was a praying mantis. It reminded me of my childhood days in Japan, so I channeled my 3rd grade bravery and caught it. I was quite proud of myself, considering I hate bugs. Why do we get more scared the older we get?

Eric's parents totally got us everything we needed to finish furnishing our apartment. Two bedside tables, a coffee table, and a table for our TV. All brand new! Woo hoo!

That's it for now. Hasta la vista, bebe!

p.s. Never wear a Shade t-shirt when you already have a bit of a food baby already, and are planning to eat Cafe Rio and Melting Pot on top of that. There is NO hiding that sucker.

10 Things

2009-08-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

10 Things I've Done

1. Skydived

2. Sang in a Japanese kids movie

3. Went to EFY five times

4. Gotten stung by a jellyfish

5. Made a national dance team---I couldn't go because I didn't have enough money

6. Sat down next to a random guy at Lake Padden and talked to him about the Gospel

7. Peed my pants at the mall...on purpose...when I was 18

8. Swam in phosphorescent algae, at night, in the ocean. Beautiful.

9. Flown a plane. OK, more like, steered a plane

10. Army crawled into an underground cave and found a real live treasure chest

10 Things I Plan On Doing

1. Travelling to as many places as possible to meet the locals and hear their stories

2. Growing a garden

3. Being a stay at home mom

4. Training my body to do whatever I want it to do--dance, surf, run far, play any sport

5. Expressing the way I see the world through photography

6. Going on a mission with my husband

7. Always having a dog once we move out of these apartments

8. Getting my degree

9. Living by the ocean

10. Meeting Nie

What are your 10 things?

A B C

2009-08-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

The lack of posts over the weekend is because I was busy taking pictures and making THIS!

Woo hoo! My photo workshop is this Saturday. STOKED.

Thank You, Nie

2009-07-31T09:02:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know....I'm absolutely obsessed with NieNie. For that reason, I want to post a little thank you for the impact she's already had on my life.

-: THANK YOU, NIE:-

- For helping me remember to slow down

- For showing me there's beauty and joy in every day life

- For expressing your feelings and teaching me it's OK to express mine, too

- For keeping your blog updated, allowing us to see into your world and draw strength from it

- For choosing to love

- For motivating me to be my best self

- For being one of the best mothers I've encountered and for proving there's no greater joy than that of family and motherhood

- For changing my life for the better

You are an example of light, life, and love.

thanks, mallory

They call me tater salad

2009-07-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

After much blogstalking and exploring of Etsy.com today, I feel like I need to resurrect my inner domestic goddess. I say "resurrect" because I used to do all kinds of cute, crafty, yummy food stuff in high school. And I was darn good at it if I say so myself! Sadly, I've let myself go and now all those fellow bloggers' pictures of sassy home decor and made-from-scratch-organic-goodness are starting to make me feel bad.

Enter strawberry cream pie.

Today I took my brother-in-law's birthday as an opportunity to awaken the goddess from her slumber.

Ta da!!

New tradition:

Everyone gets a pie on their birthday!

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Eric has moved onto the police chief interview portion of his testing with West Valley!!

AUGUST 15!!

Doesn't mean he has a job quite yet.....but things are looking hopeful. Salt Lake County.....here we come? Oh I hope so.

Although...Provo may or may not be growing on me.

YhurtsOsoGgoodA

2009-07-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

I am SORE. I've gotten pretty into yoga the past few days. I've tried it a few times before, after reading about all the benefits and hearing so many testaments. But I could never get what it was that got people so addicted. It was relaxing, sure. But I couldn't get hooked. Until now.

I think it's the teacher that makes ALL the difference. I'm doing these 25 minute videos on www.yogajournal.com. I highly recommend it.

I love being able to strike a pose--touche--and pay attention to and recognize any imbalances in my body. I've noticed tons of subtle imbalances that I never would have been able to pinpoint without doing yoga. The addiction to yoga comes into play when you make it a game to get your body completely balanced.

It's already helping me run, breathe, sit, stand, sleep, and recognize problems better. And only after 5 videos!

Moral of the story: yoga is my new favorite thing....and maybe some racquetball too :)

Change of plans..

2009-07-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today our plan was to...

1. Lay out by the pool and read Harry Potter.
2. Go to yoga class while Eric lifts.
3. Play racquetball...my new favorite addiction.

Instead, we....

1. Took a 2 hour nap.
2. Are currently watching So You Think You Can Dance

Haha.

Go us!

2009-07-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Rachel called me out on my non-postathon sooo here I am!

It feels like lots of things have happened. It's been almost a month! I'll give you a little rundown of events:

*Eric and I went on Alpine Loop! My first time! (FYI--all these were shot in manual mode what what?!)

* Spent 4th of July in St. George--check out the house we stayed in! (these were all in manual mode too!)

Need I say more?? :) Made up for the LAME fireworks. Next year = Seattle!

*Eric graduated from police academy!!!! I'm SO proud of him he did such a good job. Now he's applying for departments in Utah. (stupid guy ruined the picture. I wanted to punch him.)

* Went to a family reunion--it was Eric's first! Note the awesome shirts we got!

FYI--my family is pretty freakin' sweet!

Also, I'm taking a photography workshop real soon...stay tuned for even better pics. Waiting for Eric to hear back from the two departments he's testing with. He'll be applying for two more this month.

Last but not least...I feel like I've been learning a LOT lately, like a LOT...about everything. Must happen when you're first married. About myself, Eric, relationships, family, etc. Sometimes it's hard, but more often than not, it's worth it. Call me cliche, but since reading Nie's blog (see link on side bar), I'm learning to slow down and enjoy every bit of life, because it's true--we never get these days back. We may be poor and living in a sardine can, but we'll only have this once. I'm grateful for Eric and for the blessings Heavenly Fathe has given me. I'm grateful to know that there is only more joy to be experienced as life goes on. But for now, I'm learning to just enjoy right now.

I'm back!

2009-06-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

From a 10-ish day hiatus. Oops! Didn't mean for that to happen and holy cow time goes fast!

Lately...

1. Eric got the swine flu. Ha. Kidding. It was just the normal flu.

2. Eric got called back to do the written examination for South Salt Lake police department. Keep him in your prayers, that he'll do a good job, k?

3. I still don't like my job. And yes, sometimes I am a whiner.

4. I am stoked on photography. I'm practicing here and there with Juliet, then doing a workshop in August. Saweet!

Yesterday, we....

- missed our alarm clock for church. But really, 8:30am church? Not that far of a stretch that we'd miss it.

- drove up to my aunt and uncle's to say goodbye to my cousin, Allison, who is going to GHANA for 6 weeks to volunteer at an orphanage. Um, hi. Jealous much? My cousin, Nathan, who went to Louisiana Spanish speaking mission made everyone AMAZING tacos. I'll post the recipe when I find it. Let's just say it contains avocado and queso fresco and that's all you need to know.

- drove through Alpine Loop on the way back. SOOO cool! Never done that before.

Today....

- is Eric's last day of police academy! He's taking his final as we speak! And I'm debating on whether or not I'm going to go for a run.

Also, pictures not uploading right now. I'll post 'em later.

Saturday is a special day

2009-06-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's the day you get ready for Sunday.

This Saturday consisted of Eric testing with the South Salt Lake police department. It was just the physical testing today and out of 70 guys trying out, he got 3rd in running, and first in everything else (jumping, pushups, situps, etc.). Now we're just waiting for the call back for oral interviews.

There was a sweet sale at Macy's, so we got a bedset. Then while Eric was at school (umm, when is he not??), I went to Home Depot to get some paint. The bedset, 4 big pillows, and the paint all came to only $100!

Ta da!

Love it. What do you think?

Hello, Juliet

2009-06-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

Updates for today:

1. New debit cards came today with "Mallory Kerwin" on them! Oh OHH (Baby Mama)

2. Went by the BYU bell tower to practice taking some pictures with Juliet. Who's Juliet you might ask? Um, yeah, my new camera.

Are these not the cutest freakin things ever?? Í just happened upon them while en route to my picture taking spot. The mom wasn't anywhere nearby. It made me a little bit worried...

And apparently I'm too scary when I get up close with a camera and they tried to get away from me. Look at them watching me out of the corner of their eye. Ha!
Super geek, super geek, we're super geeky. ***For your own sake, I highly suggest you do not enlarge this photo.***

We don't have work tomorrow, applying for police jobs for Eric allll day. So we're staying up late to watch 'The International' on our Clearplay. Aka a DVD player that filters bad movies. Woo hoo. Night.

Quickie

2009-06-16T20:42:00.001-07:00

Eric and I got home a little late. But we got a quick adventure in and headed up Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls.

Goodnight loves. It's 10pm. We are pooped. Guess it's true--when you get married you turn boring and start going to bed early. Oh, how I love being boring!

Headache

2009-06-15T21:05:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah. So on my way home from work today, I totally got rear ended while waiting to turn right. Ouch. I was giving a girl a ride home from work, too. We both got whiplashed pretty good. My car looked fine, and I didn't want to deal with the headache of insurance claims and all of that, especially after the January 4th accident. So I just told the girl who hit us it was fine and we went our separate ways. I'm starting to think that was a bad idea cuz my head hurts pretty good and oh how I LOVVEE chiropractors. :) Eh. Shoulda, woulda, coulda right?

Safe

2009-06-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today Eric applied for both the South Salt Lake and the West Valley (scary?) police departments. He already got a letter back from South Salt Lake this weekend, so keep us in your prayers!
I'm so proud of Eric. He goes to school every day (including Saturdays) for several hours, even with a full time job, and he's still top in his class. On Saturday he brought home his latest achievement:
The black guy is the bad guy. The white guy is the hostage. See that little hole in the side of the black guy's head? Yeah. Bullet straight to the head that Eric did from 20 yards away right after a crazy intense adrenaline-packed workout. You'd better believe this is on the refrigerator. I'm starting to really appreciate that my hubby is going to be a police officer. Not only did he choose something he's passionate about as his career, but he will also be more than able to keep our family safe. I'm so grateful for that.

Friday-Eve

2009-06-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

...because I measure time by how close it is until Friday, since it means I don't have to deal with this headache:

Somewhere between December and now I have gone from absolutely loving my job to despising even the thought of it. Not good.

Speaking of good ideas, I've got a great one for Eric's birthday coming up...in a month and a half. I'm not big on procrastinating, unless it's paying bills :) I'm going to give Eric a hint every week. This week's hint is: savage garden

Today's post-workday events consisted of me cuddling with Eric for a few minutes before he headed off to school, then it was off to get me a new driver's license! Goodbye Chancey, hello Kerwin!

Ran some more errands, then I did something I never thought I would ever do in a million years: I went to a laundromat.

I used to snicker at the poor college students who had to use laundromats. I always had a washer and dryer whereever I lived and I thought I would never have to stoop to such a level. Boy, was I put in my place when my mom told me my down comforter was too big to be put in a normal washer, and that I would need to go to a laundromat. Personal record ruined. Stupid comforter.

That's it for tonight! Time to make some wheat dough pizza and wait for my hubby to get home!

I almost forgot...

2009-06-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

Check this out. Sooo funny!

The Perfect Day

2009-06-10T20:20:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was perfect. Eric and I went to the Mt. Timp temple to attend the first session since getting my endowments out. I liked it a lot better the second time. I'm excited. I can tell there is so much to be learned in this lifetime and we get to take it one day, or session, at a time. Eric and I got some good answers to things we had on our mind. One being, we're staying in Utah for the time being.

After the temple, we went to Cracker Barrel, where I may or may not have turned into a ravenous and vicious eating beast on my chicken n' dumplin platter.

We went home to cuddle for the rest of the night. Perfect end to a perfect day.

Today I got home to kiss Eric goodbye to his police academy class. 12 more days of not seeing him until bedtime! Speaking of which, I then proceeded to the bed to take a three hour nap. I'm a pro at this.

Just got home from running...around a couple blocks. Thank you, allergies, for closing up my throat.

Coldstone Monday

2009-06-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

After a much needed post work nap, Eric and I made some amaaazing smelling and tasting shrimp scampi for dinner :) I think all our neighbors were jealous. If you haven't bought the 'Eating for Life' cook book, I HIGHLY recommend doing so.

During FHE, we decided to go to the temple tomorrow. I think the best part about being married is being able to create any kind of life you want. We talked about lots of ideas and life plans and tomorrow at the temple we'll hopefully get some answers about where to go from here. I can't wait. It'll also be the first time to the temple since my receiving my endowments.

Then we high tailed it over to Coldstone where I'm pretty sure are the world's slowest employees. I was annoyed.

Eric is stoked for Coldstone

The many flavors of heaven. Did you know they have this new pudding ice cream? Yeah. It was a little weird. Think consistency of oatmeal.

We settled on this bad boy. Banana Caramel Crunch. Mmm mm. Eric got a disgusting smoothie, not picture worthy.

FYI--Being married to Eric is soooooo fun. I love it. And him.

La Casa

2009-06-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

aka The Sardine Can
So we're somewhat finished with the living/dining room. Painted and almost furnished....but not quite done.

The paint color is really sage/olive green---not ugly chartreuse green like the pics show.

We know, we know. We're dang hott. You don't have to tell us twice. This is Eric's fake smile that Jessica kept trying to get him to NOT do for the wedding pictures.

Motivation

2009-05-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I love to make goals and I hate complacency. I LOVE finding ways to improve. The other night, Eric and I saw "Forever Strong". If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest doing so. It totally makes me want to be the best "Mallory" I can be.

Eric and I are also reading "Total Money Makeover", which we're STOKED about. Another highly recommended read. This point really stuck out to me:

I heard a story about how mediocrity will sneak up on you. The story goes that if
you drop a frog into boiling water, he will sense the pain and immediately jump out. However, if you put a frog in room-temperature water, he will swim around happily, and as you gradually turn the water up to boiling, the frog will not sense the change. The frog is lured to his death by gradual change. We can lose our health, our fitness, and our wealth gradually, one day at a time. It might be a cliché, but that’s because it is true: The enemy of “the best” is not “the worst.” The enemy of “the best” is “just fine.”

Food for thought.

Married!!

2009-05-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

So yeah, got married on SATURDAY! Woo hoo! So awesome. It was a long, but good, day.

5:00am Wake up and go get hair done at amazing salon. Jessica, my photographer, and BFF Rach were there ALLL day. It was soo fun having them there.

9:ooam Meet Eric at SLC temple and sit in celestial room with him. Nothing short of heaven.

10:20am Get married!

11:00am -1:30pm Get lots of pictures taken. Eric starts wilting.

2:30pm Show up an hour late to luncheon. Eric completely wilted.

5:30pm More pictures

7:00pm-9:00pm Reception where I met a lot of people I didn't know and after an hour was totally and 100% mentally checked out and wanted to stop talking to said people I didn't know.

9:00pm Walked out to find our car covered in fun stuff.... then drove to the Grand America hotel in Salt Lake!!! We'll be saving up for a real honeymoon later, but here's a lil taste of what we had:

We stayed in an executive suite on the 22nd floor (Thanks Eric's parents and Sara!). Italian marble bathroom, chocolate EVERYwhere, rose petals, robes, slippers, pool, room service, etc. etc.

We found a sweet mini fridge in our room stock full of all kinds of drinks, snacks, etc. We helped ourselves liberally. Then we saw a little price list next to this fridge....

We asked the little housekeeper if we had to pay for all of the things we took out of this fridge.

"Si! You no read sign?!?"

No senora.....probably should have told us that $50 ago.

We had a view of the mountains, as seen here. Pictures just don't do it justice

Dinner at the Melting Pot. By far, the GREATEST and most amazing restaurant I have ever encountered. Our appetizer was a cheese fondue. It had white wine, sun-dried tomato pesto, basil pesto, garlic, mozzarella, and fontina cheese. I almost died it was so good. We were big fans of the bread, even though there were apples and veggies to dip as well.

Next: Caesar salad

THEN--a simmering pot of Carribbean Mojo (cilantro, lime, and fresh orange, garlic, fresh pepper, jerk, and chicken broth I'm guessing)

complete with shrimp, pork, chicken, filet mignon, another type of steak, little pasta thing, mushrooms (one of my faves), potatoes, and broccoli

And to top it ALL of: the Yin-Yang chocolate fondue (milk and white chocolate) with all the dippers: bananas, graham covered mallows, oreo covered mallows, strawberries, poundcake, cheesecake, rice krispies, and brownies.

In conclusion, quite possibly the best 2 hours of my eating career.

All in all it was awesome, but only made us want to escape to somewhere tropical for a couple weeks for a real honeymoon! Hopefully soon!

heaven on earth

2009-05-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

a.ka. CUPCAKES

I have been craving cupcakes like nobody's business. After the wedding, I plan on making a visit to this place >> http://thesweettoothfairy.com/index.html

I'm especially excited to get a vaNIElla cupcake, in honor of Nie Nie (see her blog in my blog list). I've never even met this girl, but found her blog and LOVE it.

Ghetto Fabuloso

2009-05-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

So today we're going to pick up a couch that Eric found at a garage sale for $25. Beggars can't be choosers! Then we'll go halfway up to Salt Lake to get a mattress set. Then we just need a dining table/chairs, coffee table, TV stand, oh...and a working TV would probably be awesome, too. The lil apartment is coming together! I'll take some pics today, too.

Also, 5 more days!!

Temple Day

2009-05-16T07:33:00.001-07:00

I'm really excited. Today I'm going through the temple. For my non-LDS friends, that's where we make certain promises to follow God's will for us and learn more about His Gospel, among other things. It's really exciting and it's a whole new level of commitment to the Gospel. I'm so anxious to go...I wish it was 5:00pm already! I hope I can rise to the occassion and become the woman God has always intended me to be.

Dr. Suessisms

2009-04-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

I'm going to get better at putting pictures up. Promise.

Today work was GREAT and probably because it was about 80 degrees outside. Hasn't been this warm all year, and it totally makes me feel cozy inside--which does not happen often at work.

Can I just say one thing? I am LOVING the quote:

''Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind''.

It's by Dr. Seuss. It's funny when things reveal themselves to you and then you realize who really matters to you. After you realize who matters and who doesn't, you stop trying to please every single person you associate with, and you're just you. It's a very liberating feeling.

Blog Attempt: Take Two

2009-04-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember my last blog, where I had about one post for about two years. One: SORRY! Two: I'll have you ALL know I'm trying this dealio again. Not making any promises--but since I'm getting married I decided I really better get serious about jumping on the blogging bandwagon. Seems to be a requirement for marriage :)

Pretty much all of the plans are finished, now it's just time to wait!