"No news is good news"

As Ben and I read through the family blogs last night we contemplated what we should write in our own. We've both been working full time and didn't even had time for a date night this week so nothing was too note worthy. But I have always been the fan of the phrase, "no news is good news."

Something fun that I got to do (ben has been working till close) was to hang out with my old roommate Joy. She is one of those people whose name was spot on - you just feel wonderful being around her. We decided to have a fun girly night of brownies and doing our own manicures. Pretty soon Hysen, another roommate, called and asked if she could hang too. Hysen has literally traveled the entire world because her dad is an international lawyer and gets to fly the family for free. I would hear her talk to her mom, "no, lets go to Sicily first then Cairo." Good thing she is too nice and fun too hate her! haha. And when we went to pick up Hysen Alyssa already had her coat on ready to come too!!!

It was great to just chill with my best friends up here all together! Sometimes I get a little jealous that they all still live together, but with Ben working so many late nights I've been known to pop back over to the house to distract them from homework. I like to think of myself as a good distraction.

A few minutes before Ben walked in the door we decided to scare him, since he didn't know the girls we're going to be over, by having them hide and then jump out. Problem is- Where can 3 girls really hide in an apt?! We decided to put them under our comforter which I thought would really work, until Ben walked in and just stared at it. Ok so no scare factor, but fun none the less!

Alyssa, Hysen, Joy

Thank Goodness for the Lord's day of rest because it was the only day Ben and I had off! HURRAY!!!! We had an improtu FHE with more sugar cookies! But this time it was with the real Evans' tradition of cookie cutters. I was sooooo excited when Ben found these ones because they look just like the ones that we Evans' kids grew up with!!!

The one stencil that I was really missing was the full body witch, we miss the strangest things from our youth don't we?!

Happy Hallow-month

To me Halloween is one of those wonderful times of the year that shouldn't just be acknowledged just one day or week out of the year, but for the entire month of October. I figured since christmas has taken over both december and november there shouldn't be objections made for its pagan sister.

With Ben getting an entire saturday off all I wanted to do was go to a pumpkin patch and pick out a some nice practice ones for the contest that our apt complex is doing next week (I'm very excited and overly ambitions about it). Unfortunately I forgot that I live in Idaho and not the fantastic state of Nebraska and we have zero pumpkin patches here! The local grocery store had ample supply and at 2 dollars a piece you couldn't argue with the price!

We eagerly sunk our hands and knifes (not at the same time) into the pumpkins which turned into a 3 hour long reminiscing of jack-o-lanterns of old. As I scooped out the insides I thought about how fun this'll be when I have my own little kiddies. Then I realized I'd probably have to scrape out their pumpkin guts as well. Which faded into a mathematical conundrum of 'how many pumpkins did my mother clean out?' If we started to clean out our own pumpkins at age 8 and mom having 4 children that would be 32 kids pumpkins and then adding her own that she did would be 41est pumpkins of her motherly life. Cleaning pumpkins has changed my view point of how many kids I want. Maybe I'll just grow a pumpkin patch here instead!

Can you guess who's is who's?! Ben made the sith lord and I craved the jack-o-lantern eating a cat. Its a protest against the apartments new policy to allow cats, but not dogs! Animal-cist.

Answering to another prayer - we made friends! A couple who loves playing video games and watching movies, who served in Brazil / was raised in Brazil. No, oddly enough not Michael and Cris but their life twins Taylor and Gabriella. They live in our building and are so much fun!

We dressed up and went to the local haunted house called 'The Slaughter Mill'!! At first it was pretty terrifying, but that was only the first 30 seconds. Then rest was soooooooo lame and had that rustic 'this is being put on by the boy scout troop #419' feel as all the actors appeared to be around the age of 11 and thought it was ok to touch you. Seriously! A couple parts they would grab your ankles (I kept tripping and almost falling) and pinching us- isn't that illegal? At least no one got hit in the eye!

OH OH OH - the absolute WORST part was we get into this large empty room with literally nothing in it except a hand rail and they lights are completely out. I couldn't even seen Ben who was inches in front of me. We all stood there wondering how this was scary since no one was in the room to jump out at us when a loud voice shouted, "Hold to the rod, don't let go of the rod or you'll be lost. Hold to the rod." We shouted back, "Thanks nephi, but we want to go to the large building! It looks so specious!" I can't wait until the next testimony meeting where I'm positive I'll hear, "there was this room and we had to hold to the rod...."

Possibly the scariest part of the night was the fact that Ben can exactly mimic the Jokers voice and that's enough to send a tingle up any one's spine.

Its 'The Joker' and Harley Quinn!! Well, my outfit had to be modified a bit,

I didn't quite have anything like that in my closet (thank goodness!)

Heavenly Father answers prayers, and then some

On saturday I was having a particularly looooong and dreary day. You know, one of those lonely elongating days that you just feel like no one quite understands you? Yep that was my entire Saturday! I keep thinking of women in my situation right now who I could talk and laugh with and was drawing a blank- UNTIL - I remembered Mallory!

Mallory Carty is the wife of Chris Carty whom I got to teach and see baptized on my mission. They're both my age and she really understands the loneliness of newlywed life and wearing dark nail polish in a Utahard world.

We've been able to talk on and off the past couple months and I couldn't help but long for her company in rexburg (she lives in Layton) RIGHT when I kept thinking of what she was up to - SHE TEXTED ME! How wonderful and perfect timing!!! We texted back and forth for a couple hours! It was great. All I could think about is how Heavenly Father knew and understood what I was going through.

Well, just getting to talk with her and joke with her made my day! But the Lord didn't stop there in blessing me: as Ben and I sat down to dinner and I told him a million and one reasons why he would love Mallory & Chris and their whole family I got another text that said, "We're in Rexburg, want to go out for pizza?" I couldn't believe my blessing as I called her and sure enough they were passing though the area while picking up a new trailer and had time to stop!!

I know that Heavenly Father has such a close eye on us and all we need to do is to ask for help, and tell him personally whats going on. He wants to bless us. We were not made just to endure life, but to completely enjoy the journey! Here are some cell phone picks of us in the trailer. Kirsten Forsberg came too!! She was my comp. when we taught chris.

Kirsten, Me, and Mallory

The sign outside the restroom at Craigos, tickled my funny bone

Wow, wow, wow, this just absolutely made my day. Grab the tissue box and watch this amazing video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZtU676jA_k

The Doughnut Confession:

Here's an EMBARRASSING story that happened to me just this morning that hopefully you'll find equally as hilarious as I did.

The local bakery at the grocery store makes the best doughnuts. Usually Ben and I are at work all morning and we never get a chance to dig in to their warm gooey deliciousness. We've gone a couple times at the end of the day, but its always too late and its not the same.

Today I found myself in town at just past 9am and realized my opportunity. There aren't many joys in life that only cost 59 cents, so when I find on a deal as this I tend to get overly excited. In fact, this morning my excitement turned into a song that went simply into a taunting chant of "I'm getting a doughnut, I'm getting a doughnut, etc." Over and over again all the way to the grocery store, "I'm getting a doughnut, I'm getting a doughnut."

Now I understand that most people sing such songs in there head, but oh no not me! I sang out loud the doughnut ditty for blocks as I drove to the store. As I repeated it over and over again it became so automatic that my vocal cords took over with out the need of mental prompting. The really unfortunate thing is that I didn't stop singing when I got out of my car. And I didn't stop singing as I walked up the store. And I didn't stop singing as I walked behind the nice old man who turned around and gave me a startled look as if I had completely lost my marbles. I looked back at him confused and then realized (mid-lyric) why he was looking at me that way. haha!

After turning a little pink I ran inside and grabbed my doughy goodness prize for scaring the natives. Haha, embarrassing, but worth it.

And if that didn't tickle your funny bone then this might:
Scene- Ben and Rachel just getting tucked into bed
Ben: You know, its really nice to sleep in the same bed with someone
Rachel: *feeling loved* what do you like best about it?
Ben: Well, come winter you have a free bed warmer
Rachel: *feeling used* you're silly
Ben: You're cost efficient

I laughed for about 10mins straight

Who Moved My FALL?!?!

Remember last week's post of the nice warm breeze night and the summery ice cream- no more! Look what Ben and I woke up to:

SNOW

I knew that it was going to be a chilly morning, but this was an unforeseen blitzkrieg of snow fall. Ben and I both start work before the sun comes up, so we woke up to a dry false sense of security. Getting the morning started I wrapped up in a blanket, since Ben and I talked last night how we really didn't need to turn on the heat yet, and started the morning calls around the country. As I could tell that the sun had risen above the horizon I went to crack the shade to let it in- when I saw it. Its white slushy goo that devoured everything in its path- I was surrounded on all sides! After a very audible *gasp* I grabbed my camera and knew what my Monday blog was going to be about.

See for the past 2 autumns I've been "out of commission" and unable to enjoy its crunchy leaves and spooky treats. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to get the fall party started and revel in every seasonal cliche Idaho had to offer: fright houses, corn mazes, farmers markets, Carmel apples, long happy walks in the evening, and the Halloween parties galore. And with one sprinkle from Jack Frost's gang of flurry miscreants my hopes of a crisp fall were dampened. And yes I have turned the heater on now.

Ok, slightly on the dramatic side, but its drama that I do well. :) I do have some questions from my female familia: we're looking for a good (and cheap) table set- any suggestions for an online place besides walmart. Walmart.com is good, but just in case you'all know of something else. Then same question goes for a mattress topper/bed pad.

The other question/problem that I need assistance with is the front door has an AWFUL draft coming from it and I can almost watch the heating bill being sucked into its cold whirlwind. I know there are things you can put at the bottom of the door, but is there anything that I can hang on the side or front or something? Any ideas of suggestions will be happily received

Oh yeah, we haven't heard from any home or visiting teachers yet. It might have something to do with our apt mat:

That reminds me! I will still be doing a video tour of our little home, but I want to get every one's pottery here first! And a table, if we can find one!