Mexico

This year we joined the Shipp family in Mexico, the week after Christmas. We are glad we finally decided to join the family on this vacation. Although we ended on a sour note ( Josh and I were sick the last day), we had a great time! Here are just a few of the pictures from the trip!

Coba ruins, Mexico (December 2011)

Coba ruins, Mexico (December 2011)

Coba ruins, Mexico (December 2011)

Tulum ruins, Mexico (December 2011)

Tulum ruins, Mexico (December 2011)

Josh jumping into a cenote, Mexico (December 2011)

Christmas 2011

Since it is just us, Josh and I do Christmas a little differently. We usually just do stocking gifts, this year we did splurge on some clothes and Josh really needed a new blanket too. Here are some pictures of us opening our stockings.

Josh, Christmas 2011

Jess, Christmas 2011

Because we are just downstairs, Josh and I spent Christmas morning with my parents and Stuart as they opened presents!

Josh opening his new blanket Jess made him.

 The funniest moment was when we opened gifts from my Grandma Nelson. She gave my Dad a Santa Snuggie. Here is the picture with Dad and his snuggie. This really was hilarious!

Christmas Lights!

This Christmas season felt a little off this year. We are in a tiny space so we skipped the tree and well we didn't really decorate at all. We did try to do a few traditional Christmas activities including the Jon Schmidt Christmas concert and then of course a visit to see Christmas lights at Temple Square. Here are some pictures from the night visiting lights!

Bundled up at Temple Square, December 2011

Temple Square, December 2011

Going to the chapel and I'm gonna get married...

One of my best friends, Brittani, got married! Jorge and Brit make a great couple and I am so happy for them both. It was freezing the day they got married and Josh and I didn't get too many pictures because of it, but here are a few we captured.

Brit & Jorge's Wedding, December 2, 2011

Jess, Lindsey, Brit, Lacey

Congrats Brit and Jorge!

Gingerbread Houses!

Josh and I love to make gingerbread houses. This year I was very ambitious and decided to make my own gingerbread. It did NOT work at all and sadly we went back to the kits. I have high hopes to make this work next year but hey I still think they turned out cute. For our gingerbread making, we invited some newbies, Brit and Jorge. It was a lot of fun and I am very happy with the end result!

Brit and Jorge with their gingerbread house.

Josh and I with our adorable little house!

Disneyland in October!

In October we headed to California with the Nelson clan. It was so much fun to see Disneyland around Halloween time. I honestly think this is my favorite time of year to go to Disneyland! My dream is to make this a Halloween tradition for Josh and I. Here's to wishing!

Disneyland, October 2011

Jess's Mouth Surgery

Surgery on your mouth is never fun. Such a sad picture!

Summer excitement

Everytime I post on this blog I swear to myself that I will stick with it. Alas, this is never the case. Summer has gone by so quickly and now we are already in October. For the sake of tracking some memories I will attempt to pick a few pictures and document some events of this summer.

Back in May, Bryce got married and we welcomed the newest member to the family, Katy. This was such a fun day and so weird for me to watch my younger brother get married. They are so cute together and it is so fun to be with them. Bryce and Dad built an apartment in Lani's basement before they got married for Katy and Bryce to live in. I love that they get to stay close by to family!

 

This summer, Josh and I spent a lot of time hiking around and camping. Unfortunately we didn't take a ton of pictures and I can't find many of them. Even though both Josh and I are wearing the same outfits these pictures they were not taken on the same days.

Josh and I went down to St. George for a weekend to visit and this is us heading to church on Sunday. It seems to be tradition that while visiting Amanda and Wes, we take a picture before attending church.

In mid-August, I was able to attend Education Week at BYU and Josh took time off to head down to Lake Powell with his family for a couple of days. I was so glad that he decided to go because I know he loved it!

Amanda and Wes decided to run a relay race together at the end of August. The race was all day long and so during the day while they were gone, Josh and I took the kids. We headed to the zoo, which was so much fun. They loved riding the train and looking at the animals.

Such cute boys!

2nd Anniversary!

Josh and I have been married 2 years! For our anniversary we spent the night up at Snowbird. The snow was beautiful! I have pictures but they didn't turn out great. We had such a fun time and a great celebration of 2 years of marriage. I love you, Josh. Thank you for keeping me on my toes.

Jess Graduation

May 7, 2011- Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education

I finally graduated! Originally i had no plans of walking with my class for graduation, but Mom and Dad, of course, had something else to say about that so I walked. I didn't want to make a big deal out of everything so I tried to keep it simple. Josh's parent's and younger brother Matt, and sister Sarah along with my parents, Stuart, Bryce and his fiance Katy all came to watch the graduation.

Josh and I.


My parents and I.


The Shipp family.



These were some of the ladies from my SPED program that i completed distantly from Salt Lake for the last 2 years.

When did February come and go?

Time has sure flown and Josh and I have been quite busy. Since the last post in September, many holidays and great family gatherings have passed by with lots of fun and many memories. Pictures to come soon, hopefully if i can find the camera :)! At the beginning of this new year, Josh and I started anew. Josh began a six-month internship with Candlelight Homes and is loving the change of scenery his office is providing. I am loving not having so much ridiculously dirty laundry to do from the construction! He is also taking 5 classes and is so-o busy doing homework, which as many of you know, is really quite difficult for me to handle being that i have to leave him alone for hours on end, daily. Not a happy wife does this make. For me, i began my student teaching. I have been at West Kearns Elementary working with a Special Education teacher, teaching 3rd and 4th grade students. I have really enjoyed getting to know these students and after this week i will be moving on to finishing my student teaching in a general education classroom at Plymouth Elementary. I am so sad to leave the familiar behind and enter into a classroom full of 6th grade students, not my forte! So here is to March and the next chapter of student teaching! I surely can't wait until May and graduation, hopefully i survive until then, in the meantime i will type my reports, finish my portfolio(s), and Josh will finish mid-terms!