*Starting the year off with a BANG*

I’ve been meaning to write this post for awhile. Everyone starts out the year with a new post of new goals and things they want to get out of the year, and things they have learned about last year. As for us we haven’t really had time to think about those things as of yet. We started out this year with a bang. All my life things have been up and down. For a period of time things will be lying low and chill, and then, BAM, something big happens. All through December I’ve been telling Chase and friends that something big was going to happen in the next few months. I got teased multiple times that we were going to have a baby (no worries that’s not it). I could just feel something was coming. I have little trials every day to help build up my testimony but knew something a little bigger was coming. Well it has come. Now, this might be a tad too much information, but this blog is a journal and a way to get things out. The day before New Year’s Eve Chase and I went into the medical center. Chase was bleeding from his lower back end. We went into the doctor and he told us he really had no idea what was going on and scheduled us for an ultra sound. We were really worried as to what was going on. After a long month of doctor visits, ultra sounds, and meeting with the surgeon as of last Friday, they diagnosed a Fistula. A Fistula is a canal/tube that is created off the rectum. It can become infected if left untreated. The surgeon told us that Chase has the worst possible type. We were relieved and blessed to hear that he didn’t have cancer, and this isn’t life threatening. Luckily, Chase’s isn’t infected and they didn’t find any growth or abscess. However, we found out not only will they do the initial surgery of a Fistulaectomy but he will have to go in multiple times every 2-3 weeks to tighten up the stitches and make more cuts. (P.S. I’m sparing the details; you can Google a Fistula if you’re more curious). The recovery time if all goes well, Chase can be up and going in a couple days, worst case he will have 2-3 weeks off work. To add the icing on the cake, Chase does not have insurance. For those of you who have been newly married, working part-time/ full time, and going to school money is already tight. So to say the least it’s going to be a long few months. We are very blessed to have friends and family close to be able to help out. Here comes our trial of faith. Chase made the joke the other day that the next time I decide I need to have a walk with Christ, leave him out of it. I told him he’s married to me now and he gets to be a part of everything. Chase’s first surgery will be on Feb. 20th. I will keep all updated who would like to know how things go. It’s a hard feeling and emotion to deal with seeing your husband/ best friend who is so strong and the one who carries you go through something like this. I know we are very blessed to have the knowledge of the Gospel and know that as long as we are doing what we are supposed to be doing and having faith, the Lord will take care of us. “Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more. He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit.” 2014 is going to be a great year! We may not have any huge goals or plans set, but we are starting this year with a BANG. I know that as long as we continue to learn and continue to grow in our everyday life, than this year will be perfect. Life can either be an adventure or an episode, I choose adventure. Cheers to 2014!

*Summer Lovin*

*I thought I'd finally update on life! Here's what's happened over the past few months...

*Towards the end of May I was lucky enough to go on a fun field trip to the zoo with my sisters 2nd grade class. Luckily my nieces are in the class so I got to spend the day and have a lot of fun with them!

*My birthday came around at the end of May. My best friend came up and we spend the day visiting the Potato Museum, and the Carousel Museum in Idaho Falls. I was so happy she was able to come and visit. She's the best friend that I could ever be blessed with.

*One of the many things Chase and I like doing together is taking drives through the country. One of the most beautiful things about Idaho is her sunsets. God truly is an artist. *Chase had a day off so after I was done with class we went and spend the day at the pool it was so much fun.

*My wrist has been giving me trouble for the past 6 months. The doctor finally found a cyst and went in and removed it. It wasn't fun having a cast at all, but Chase drew me a picture and took great care of me making things that much better. I"m so blessed to have someone who loves me and takes such great care of me.

*Nothing like summertime without some softball and snow-cones. *This last weekend we went and visited my in-laws. We were able to be a part of the blessing of our new niece Dhrystal Jexy. She is adorable and she was born into such a beautiful family. we had a lot of fun visiting and enjoying one another company. I"m blessed with such great in-laws.

*Chase and I love doing things together. While we were in Twin Falls Chase took me and some beautiful hikes to some amazing waterfalls! My favorite was when we were able to get right behind the waterfall. It was wet, but absolutely beautiful and I was so happy to share those moments with my best friend.

*4th of July weekend was full of lots of fun. On Thursday, Chase and I went mini golfing and yes, I did beat him. I was pretty proud of myself. On Friday we headed down to Clearfield, Utah to spend the weekend with the best of friends. We stayed up way too late talking and laughing, and spent the next day Laser Tagging and taking mustache pictures. We are so blessed to have best friends who are just as goofy and ridiculous as we are.

*Put a Smile on Your Face, Make the World a Better Place* This summer so far is going really well. School is going great for me, and I'm really proud of how I am doing in my math class. I got a 96 on a math test this last month and I had never felt more proud of myself. Chase continues to work hard each and every day commuting to Burly for his job and our family. He hit Platinum this month and I am soooo proud of him. He worked his butt off and ended up being number 4 out of 300 employees in the company! He is a hard worker and I couldn't be a prouder wifey. So far this has been our summer, we are so blessed more and more each and everyday, we couldn't ask for more*

*Highlights of February*

We started out the month with my cute husband getting me an early Valentine's Day Present. He took me and we picked out a new member of our family! Chase got me a kitty and his name is Skeeter! He is growing so quickly and is a brat sometimes but boy is he spoiled. I'm pretty sure Chase spoils him more than I do! Haha the good cop, bad cop thing is off and on with this little guy. But he is adored and loved a lot by us. It's nice having a little buddy to keep me company when Chase is gone all day at work. Skeeter loves playing fetch! Chase wants a dog quite badly, but since Skeeter fetches he'll have to play the role of cat and dog for now. We love the little guy and glad to have him as an addition to our family. The second week of Feb. we to a weekend trip down to Clearfield, Utah to spend time with the Draney family. Emily and Vance are some of Chase's really great friends from Ellensburg, Washington. I was lucky enough to meet them before we got married and get to know them. Emily and I clicked off from the start. I truly consider her a sister and a best friend! They traveled up for our wedding and this month was the first time we had seen them since the wedding. I'm so lucky that not only did I get Chase as a best friend, but I am blessed that his friends so willingly accept me and love me as much as they love him. Emily and Vance are marvelous people and such good friends to talk to. Emily is a wonderful mother and treats everyone with kindness and what an amazing example and close friend she has become in such a short amount of time! It will be wonderful to become closer as the years roll by. The month continued on with the usual school and work. Throughout the month a so called "friend" who I hadn't talked to in quite sometime pulled the whole "how are you?" but really wanted me to know how they were doing. They really didn't care how I was but wanted to release their struggles on my shoulders for me to burden. You see I have to admit I'm a huge push over and I will be there for anyone, any day, and any time, but sometimes you just have to put your foot down. Fortunately I have a husband who talks me through things and helps me see things outside of my range. We talked it over and realized that a friend isn't someone who only cares about themselves and who brings you down. A true friend is someone that is there when you need them. As hard as it was, I had to tell this "friend" that it was time to cut ties. It was really hard for me, but I realize you can't take on everyone's problems and not let them take on some of yours. The funny thing is I'll probably always be too big of a push over, but being married to someone who is so similar and opposite helps you become stronger in areas where you are weak. I'm blessed to have someone to lift me up when I need it. A highlight of the month was speaking in our ward. We have been blessed with an amazing ward family. They are so accepting and loving and we are blessed to live in the area that we do. Chase got a calling in the Elders Quorum and will be a great addition there. We were asked to speak on faith and charity. I talked on the power of one, and how having the faith to love all people, and to get outside of comfort zones to find friend that need us is truly important in life. Christ gave his life for us and his friends, and it's only asked of us to share our love with friends, neighbors, and people we've yet to meet. Chase spoke on how his mission prepared him for a future family. He shared his fears and his strengths he has about our future family. He asked the important question of, what kind of legacy we will leave behind?! My husband is a wonderful speaker and the spirit was so strong. How blessed I truly am to have such a strong and spiritual giant to lead me and my future family. I have no doubt in my mind he will be an exceptional father to our future children and lead and guide them in ways I would not be able to. I think this was one of the first time in quite sometime that I felt confident in speaking, especially knowing i had such a great speaking partner. We were told by many after our talks of what a wonderful job we did, and what a great addition we truly are to our new ward. It really made me feel loved and appreciated. Another highlight of the month was being able to spend time with family. Richie and Diana came down for President's Day weekend. It was a bit of a crazy weekend but the time we got to spend with them is always enjoyable. Chase and I also got to babysit our nephew Hudson that weekend. Oh what joys and adventures babysitting a 15 month year old little boy is! Haha I have a new appreciation for those mothers and fathers that have the energy to chase around such an energetic little guy! haha. We did have a lot of fun, but we got our baby fix for at least the next year! February was another month full of ups, downs, love, and as always, many blessings. Life is good.

The Start...

Well here goes nothing. I thought I'd start up this whole blog thing as to I'm horrible at journal writing. I figure i might be a little better with typing up entries over writing them. So this is the start. I can't promise something every week, but I think every month is quite doable. So where to start....Hmm...well I guess it started about a year ago exactly at this time. This week will mark the first week Chase and I started talking! Haha...wow a year since we've met! Yesterday was our five month anniversary and this weeks marks a year from when we met. It blows my mind how fast things can change, and luckily change for the better. Chase and I started talking and chatting it up a year ago this week, and how blessed and thankful I truly am to have met him. It amazes me how random people come into your life. It amazes me that the best things come to you in life when you least expect it. The Lord truly does bless us more than we realize. So to start this blog I thought I'd give a brief outline of the past year that led me up to this point of sitting in my new home, with my amazing husband of five months, starting this blog of our adventures. The Start... One year ago...Chase and I started talking to each other a year ago. He was living in Twin Falls working for At&T and I was going to school in Logan, Utah and working for Logan City for an After School Program. We would call and talk to each other every day for about a month when we made a bet on a football game. The Giants were playing the 49ers and we said that if The Giants won he would come to Logan to take me out, if they lost I would go to Twin Falls. No doubt what so ever, The Giants won. A week later Chase and I had our first date. There was no awkwardness because we felt like we knew each other quite well up to this point. Chase says he knew from the moment I opened the door he was going to marry me...I knew from the moment I opened the door where I saw this handsome, beautiful smiling guy with flowers in his hand that he was different from the rest. We ended up going out to dinner and renting a movie and going back to my apartment. After that first weekend date it was history from there. We saw each other every weekend after that and at least one day of the week. The distance was hard but we made it work. Two months later we were engaged in April and it was the perfect engagement. Chase and I both love sports and baseball is a favorite of ours. Chase came to Logan and proposed on the pitchers mound of a baseball field. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Though at one point he got down on his knee and tied his shoe and got back up. hahaha oh Chase good thing it was dark out because I was so embarrassed thinking he was going to ask me. Luckily the embarrassment didn't last long because the second time he got down on his knee on that pitchers mound he asked me to be hiw wife. (P.S. I wans't the only nervous one, when he pulled out the ring box it was upside down haha love you honey). That summer was a long one with me in Logan and Chase living with my parents in Blackfoot. Between planning a wedding and trying to work and see my fiance it was a crazy busy summer. I had the best roommates and best friends to hold me and keep me sane. Kristen Hellwig my best friend ever held me and hugged me when the stress took over. August came and we moved me and transfered me to IDaho State University and finding our new home in Idaho Falls Idaho. It was a block from Chase's work and in a great area. We had the dress, the wedding plans down, and our house. The wedding day finally arrived on August 11, 2012. The BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.

We were so beyond blessed to have our amazing family and amazing friends to be a part of that day with us. Everything turned out perfectly and I couldn't have asked for a better wedding day. We honeymooned up to Island Park to my grandparents cabin. What a lovely break from life and what bliss it was to be able to spend time with my new husband and eternal companion. After the honeymoon life started again. Chase worked as a manager for At&T and I commuted to Pocatello to school and nannyed for a lady in the area. We loved our little house and our little family we had started together. We were chugging along just fine when in the begginning of November we were faced with some tough decisions. Chase's company decided that they wanted to transfer him to antoher store in Burly. It was move or find another job. Well after much praying and weighing options we moved to Pocatello two weeks before Christmas. I reccommend if you're going to move don't do it right before Christmas, and don't do it right before finals. Haha, the added stress was a lot to handle, but as always the Lord has blessed us with amazing family that has gone above and beyond to help us out. We got a house where the Landlords work for my grandpa and are really good family friends. I got a job right away doing exactly what I did in Logan, I manage an after school program, and I have a great school scheduele. The only downside is Chase having to commute which is worrisome and scary with the winter but so far it's been great. The Lord has blessed us above and beyond what we could ever need. We can't say thank you enough and be grateful enough to our family and friends who have helped us in our crazy adventures. Chase and I are learning more and more about each other each and every day. We are learning and growing closer to our Lord who helps pick us stand when we are on our knees. The past year I have grown and learned more about myself than I could ever imagine. The blessings just keep coming. Today...We are currently in Pocatello and loving it. I have a great job, and school starts up on Monday and I am excited. Our cute little house is a home and I love our little family of the two of us. Chase goes above and beyond to work hard for our family and I am so blessed to have a best friend such as him. The past 5 months have been an adventure and I'm looking forward to the adventures that forever has to offer The Clarke Family. Now you know the start...until next time. Remember: ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!!!