Nate and Court

Photo Card

2012-02-01T12:13:00.001-08:00

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Going Private...

2012-01-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

I promise I have an overload of pictures to share of our new little one but before I do I've decided to make our blog private. We want to keep our little man safe. We also want to avoid unwanted people creeping on our blog. So if you want to continue reading our blog email me your email address so I can add you, courtastaley@yahoo.com.

Until we go private,

Christmas Baby

2011-11-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

18 days my friends!

I am going to be a mom, forever.

This
is
so
EXCITING!!

This is seriously going to be the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!
I didn't think this time of year could get any better, but whoa I was wrong...
I've now fallen in love with:
Cute Christmas onesies
Tiny little socks
and soft reindeer PJs
thoughts of newborn Colton on Santa's lap (as long as he doesn't have a cough or sniffles)

Add that to my long list of things I already love about Christmas:
Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby
The Christmas Tree
Delicious goodies
Fun Christmas decor and attempted Christmas crafts
Hot Chocolate
Christmas movies
Family
The lights and winter smells,
and you've put this girl in Christmas Heaven!!

Sorry for the pictureless post, but just you wait, soon enough it'll be baby picture overload.

A Little Gem

2011-10-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

I've been loving this song lately. She is one of my favorite artist because of her lovely voice. If daydreams and happy thoughts had a sound it would be her album.
This song makes me so excited for Colton to be here! There is no doubt we were meant to have a little boy, I couldn't imagine our house differently. I can't wait for all those tender moments, the fun adventures and all things boy(planes, trucks, footballs, dinosaurs, mud and bugs)!
9 1/2 weeks left!

A little seclusion

2011-08-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Not so recently my phone had a little mishap. The screen was shattered and so we sent it off to be fixed.

This was on July 22nd...

Best Buy and their Geek Squad don't see the need to hurry so I am without a phone!

I could put my service on our ancient flip phone but then I have to change our service plan and I lose our really great deal from before, something about being grandfathered, yada yada.

So why am I sharing this with you?

At first I was going through withdraws, I'm entirely too attached to that thing. Nate commented that it was nice to have my phone gone because when it was here it was our third wheel. That phone lived in my hand, and when I slept, it slept under my pillow. Yes I had an attachment issue.

Now that it's been gone for quite some time, I must say, it's been nice to be a little more secluded. I feel free from this constant stream of phone calls, text messages and Facebook.

And I've noticed something:

As a society we are way too connected. At the movies I saw a girl pull out her cell phone every 30 minutes to check Facebook. Another adult was texting throughout the movie and I'm guessing it wasn't an emergency because he stayed until the end.

Are we so reliant on being connected that we can't sit through a whole movie without an interruption?

Granted I like being able to call Nate whenever I please. A small part of me knows it'd be nice to have my phone in case of an emergency, especially being home without a car. And there are certain things a phone is necessary for, like making appointments, BUT, secretly I'm falling in love with the seclusion.

Just maybe it'd be nice to step back into the "good old days" when you'd have to wait for a reply after sending off a letter, or the days of only using land lines and having an answering machine. Maybe then we'd develop a little more patience.

I dare you to turn off your phone for a whole day, bet you can't do it!

Until my next rant, hope life is treating you well!

It's a...

2011-07-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were excited to find out we are having a little boy! Nate couldn't have been more excited, he was all grins the rest of the afternoon. We both wanted a boy first but everyone was convinced it was a girl so we were pretty surprised when it most definitely was not a girl... let's just say he made sure we knew he was all boy! We couldn't resist shopping for a few things after we found out. It is starting to sink in and we are so excited for this new phase of our lives.

He is really healthy and growing like crazy. The doctor said if he continues to grow this way he'll be an 8 pound baby! We can't wait to meet the little chunk and thank our lucky stars that he's a healthy baby! He's a little wiggle worm who spent part of the ultrasound kicking and punching whenever the tech would push on my stomach. Here are some pictures of little Colton David.

Hope life is treating you well!

Pregnancy, Graduation, and Moving

2011-05-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to Regina Spektor on Pandora while typing this, just thought you should know.

Here's Baby Staley!

To be helpful the tech made note of the actual baby. We had a good laugh about that, she must have been concerned that we didn't know what we were looking for or maybe we looked confused about what that peanut shape thing was inside my stomach. I hope you don't think I'm being serious, we really knew it was a baby, glad we established that.

Pregnancy has been an adventure. I've felt pretty crummy and just when I think it's getting better, I get sick again. There are all these unmentionables of pregancy that I'm excited to be done with. Good thing the pay off is a baby cause I wouldn't go through this for very many things. If someone listed the stuff you feel and deal with during pregnancy and asked me if I'd go through those things for a lifetime supply of chocolate I'd call them crazy. When I'm feeling exceptionally crummy Nate teases that this baby better be pretty cool since I've had to go through all of this. Regardless, I'm pretty stoked that we are having a baby and I don't take for granted that just a few months ago we were worried it wasn't ever going to happen for us.

In other big news my little sister graduated last night! I'm so excited for her and her new adventures! She looked stunning! Tay is going to BSU next year and we are pretty excited that she decided to stay close. She is actually going to live with Nate and I for her first year of school, I'm pretty excited about that too. Well with a baby on the way and Tay living with us we couldn't stay in our little one bedroom apartment so we are moving! We found this cute little house and are excited to be moving in next weekend. We love the area of Boise that we live in so we were pretty happy when we found this house close by.

Hope life is treating you well!

Coming December 2011...

2011-05-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to Baby Staley, 10 weeks in the making. Due to arrive December 15th(ish). We went to our first appointment and everything became so real. Baby S was wiggling and spinning around with a strong heartbeat at 183. To say the least we are super excited! More to come soon!

March Challenge

2011-02-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks one year from saying goodbye to our dear grandpa.

One year ago he walked into the arms of loving family members waiting for him on the other side.

One year ago we were reminded of the importance of family.

We honor him because of all that he taught,
We remember him because of the life he led,
We have faith that families are eternal so we will see him again.
There have been many sad days over the past year when I've longed for a hug, or some loving council or a tender blessing from my dear grandpa.
There have been days when I recognize how Grandpa and Grandma's example have helped mold me into the person that I am.
There have been tender experiences in which I know Grandpa is not far from where we are. He is watching over us and taking care of our family, just as he did when he was here.

And so as the year comes around I've been thinking about how I can honor who Grandpa was while on this Earth. Grandpa taught me many lessons. His example encouraged and encourages me to be better than I am.
Two principles that Grandpa taught that stick out to me more than most have to do with
service
and
faith in Jesus Christ.

March marks Grandpa's birthday and so I'm issuing a challenge to all my cousins (and anyone else who wants to participate).
Grandpa taught us to put others before ourselves.
Grandpa taught us to recognize the Lord's hand in our lives and try to live with complete faith in Him.
And so as March rolls around I challenge you to do a good deed each day of the month.
Take more time to ponder all the good that God has blessed you with, take time to write down the ways that He has blessed your life.
But it doesn't stop there...
I thought it'd be great if we were somehow able to share these things with our sweet Grandma. What better way to brighten her spirit and show her our love than to honor her sweetheart throughout the month.
So here is the second part of the challenge...
In the month of March make it a goal to keep a record of the ways you were able to help others around you and how it affected you, when the month is up share those things you wrote with Grandma. Or take time to call Grandma once a week and share the things that you've done to honor Grandpa.

There is nothing greater in this world than family, and thanks to our Grandpa we know that we are an eternal family and we will all see him again.

Grandpa lived a life of righteousness, and testified of Christ. He served his fellow men because He loved the Lord. Let's honor him by continuing what he would do if he were here with us.

Stay at home bliss!

2010-12-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

The past few days I've been a stay at home wife while I wait to start my new job.

Being a stay at home wife has consisted of:
cleaning my house,
running errands,
decorating for Christmas,
seeing my husband on his lunch break,
watching White Christmas and decorating cookies with Gma,
and spending time with my dear friends.
I'm loving it, these last few days have been bliss, this is the life I dream of!

Call me crazy but I can't wait for the day when I am able to stay at home with several little ones who call me mom. I will be in heaven caring for my babies and taking care of my home. The highlights of my day will consist of story time before nap, celebrating little kid accomplishments, cooking delish meals, and getting excited to see Nate come home from work! I'm pretty sure some of my readers are thinking,"bleh, really Court, that sounds awful." But to me that is near perfection. Call me crazy but I'm even excited for those days of screaming babies and a chaotic house, that still sounds magnificent. All I'm saying is I'm meant to be a stay at home mom, and I'm pretty sure in a previous life I was the mother from Leave it Beaver.

I say that because these daydreams always consist of me welcoming Nate home in one of these adorable dresses...

Simply put I dream of achieving domestic goddess status.
The end.

Considering the Lilies

2010-12-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I started reactivating all my online nanny accounts knowing that I would need to find a job soon. One website never had good listings but I decided to activate it just in case,
this wasn't coincidence.

A week ago I got an email from a man who had found me via this website. He and his wife were interested in interviewing me about a nanny position. They wanted to interview me Tuesday night, this happened to be the last day with my current family,
this wasn't coincidence.

The last day at work the mother I nannied for was waiting on a phone call. It was about a job she had applied for. If she got the job I would stay as their nanny but they would have to drop me down to 30 hours. I would still have a job and I wouldn't have to say goodbye to the three children I had fallen in love with but our finances would take a hit. The phone call never came,
this wasn't coincidence.

I went to my interview that night. As I drove to the house I got a lump in my throat thinking about how earlier I had to say goodbye to children I loved tremendously. Part of me wanted everything back to the way it was. As I sat with this new family the parents told me about their situation. The mother has never needed a nanny because she has always been a stay at home mom. She currently has cancer and because of some of her health struggles they need an extra set of hands around the house. As I sat in the interview I had an overwhelming feeling of peace, this was where I was needed,
this wasn't coincidence.

They informed me that they had a few other interviews and that I'd hear from them by the weekend. The following day I received a phone call, they wanted to offer me the position.
They live closer than my previous family.
My new hours are full time and fit perfectly with Nate's schedule.
They are LDS and happen to be in our ward.
I use to nanny three children, this family has two children.
They offered me an increase in pay.
This wasn't coincidence, this was a blessing.

Things happen for a reason. I was being taught that Heavenly Father always has a plan for me. Often times that plan is better than anything I would have imagined. He asks that we have faith in Him, something I struggled with the past few weeks. Sometimes we have to walk in darkness for a time before the light comes on and we see all that lies ahead of us. Faith is like having a hand to lead us through that darkness until the lights are turned on. And now that the lights are turned on, I wish I would've had more faith.
This wasn't coincidence, this was a blessing.

I have a lot to learn from the lilies.

(Matthew 6:25-33)

A Lesson on Faith

2010-10-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Nate and I are in a phase of our lives where several large decisions have to be made. Recently we've really been wrestling with those questions.
When do we start a family?
Should I go back to school, should Nate be a full time student?
Should we both work and save to buy a house?
How do we afford these things?
For a time it didn't seem that any of this fell together and I felt convinced it wasn't ever going to make sense.

Then I decided to do what I should've done in the first place. I decided to turn to Heavenly Father and put my faith in Him. If I've learned one thing, over and over again, it's that He knows what's best for us. As Nate and I prayed everything started to fall into place, our prayers were being answered. On October 8th I wrote in my journal:
"I know that when I put my trust in Heavenly Father He will provide for me. He knows better than I do what is best. He has promised that He will not leave me alone, I can make it through anything with my trust in Him."

It is easy to make statements of trust and faith when things are pleasant and life seems perfect. It is in times of trial that we still have to put our trust and faith in Heavenly Father, even when we are uncertain of what's to come.

On Thursday I found out that the family I am with will no longer be needing a nanny. The mother lost her job, she searched for a new job but did not find one. After searching for quite some time they decided she was going to stay at home with her children.

There is a small part of me that is so happy to hear this. I love those children with every little piece of my heart but even I cannot replace their mother. Then there is the bigger part that is heartbroken and worried. More than anything I'm going to miss those three more than words can describe. I love those kids as if they were my own. Along with the sadness comes the worry about finding a new job, at times I feel a bit discouraged.

The day I found out I had to bite my tongue in asking why. I'm slowly learning why is not the right question to ask in times of trial. Instead the question should be, "what can I learn from this, please help me through this?" A part of me wonders why we felt so confident about what the Lord wanted for us just days before and then it came crashing down around us. I know better than that though. We've hit a temporary bump. While I am once again confused about the direction we should be heading I know Heavenly Father still has a plan designed just for me. I will hold to my faith in Him and eventually it'll all make sense... until then I'll remember what a girl once said:
"I know that when I put my trust in Heavenly Father He will provide for me. He knows better than I do what is best. He has promised that He will not leave me alone, I can make it through anything with my trust in Him."

There is no sadness or discouragement that cannot be overcome with faith, with Him I can do hard things. Repeat...

Fun Question Friday and A Winner!

2010-10-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Winner for Must have Monday: Comment #1, Teri! Text me girly and tell me when you want to meet up for some delicious pitas and a little girl time. I can't wait to see you!

Fun Question Friday
I have no questions to answer so I'm turning the tables and asking you a question.
How did you end up with your name?
I'm named after a random grocery store clerk. When my mom was pregnant she was at the store and the clerk's name was Courtney. She loved it and the rest is history! My middle name is a family name. My great great grandma was named Ambrosine and out of that came my middle name, Amber.
I can't wait to hear your answers!

Happy Friday,

Wordless Wednesday: A little privacy please?

2010-10-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Must have Mondays: A Delicious Giveaway!

2010-10-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Friend!
Sorry I've been gone, I took a week long blogging vaca because we were sharing sicknesses around these parts, sounds exciting doesn't it?

Erin I'm not a complete flake but I'm having shipping issues... long story short your Must have Monday lip balm will be there soon, I promise!

As a little housekeeping I just wanted you to know I'm changing Saturdays! Oh, but wait, I haven't even blogged on a Saturday, so what does it matter? (Well it doesn't, but be excited, it's a requirement for reading my blog.) If I do ever get around to blogging on a Saturday it will now be Surprise Saturday, doesn't that sound intriguing?

I'm crazy about today's Must Have! If you live in Boise don't go as long as I did without trying this place. I've been in this area for ten years but not until a few months ago did I try this place...

Now I'm addicted! I'm pretty sure it's a little piece of heaven wrapped in a pita! My favorites are the chicken caesar and the gyro. MMM, MMM, good! Oh and they have breakfast pitas so really I could dine there for all three meals, daily... and I would because I love it that much!

I love this place and I want you to love this place so I'm going to take you to lunch! To enter you have to live in the Boise area. Just leave a comment by Friday and your entered to win lunch with me at the Pita Pit. Can't wait!

Have the best day of your life,

Fun Question Friday & The Winner!

2010-09-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!
I missed Thankful Thursday, I guess you'll just have to wait until next week for that one.

To pick a winner for Monday's must have I used a random number generator.
The winner is:
Comment #5: ERIN!!!
(Erin just send me a FB message with your address and I'll mail it to you.)
Everyone else stay tuned for next Monday because I have another terrific must have giveaway!

My questions for today came from my fabulous friend Alyssa, thanks girly!

1) What is your dream vacation?
Nate served his mission in the one of the most magnificent places in the world. Off the coast of Madagascar there are two gorgeous islands, Mauritus and Reunion. We'll get there one day but to fly there it's $5,000! I could go on and on about how beautiful this place is, instead I'll just show you...

Lovely, Magical, Fabulous, Romantic... and now I want a vacation!

2) What is the best advice you've ever had?
One of the wisest men I know is my Grandpa Milich. While he was still here he told me, "Put the Lord first and everything else will work out." I've tested it over and over again and he is right. It's so simple but there's no advice I treasure more than that.

3) Will you be writing a book on how to be lovely anytime soon? Because I'm ready to buy it.
Dear Alyssa,
You are one of the most lovely and elegant people I know. If I were to write a book it'd be an insult to those, like yourself, who are truly lovely. Have no doubt, I'll be waiting for you to release a book on being lovely. As a sidenote will you autograph mine?
-Courtney

PS I won't be posting Saturday because it's game day, who has time to blog when the Broncos are playing!

Wordless Wednesday: One of my favorites

2010-09-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Tell All Tuesday

2010-09-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

Tell all Tuesday will not be "tell-all" today, and for a good reason. This post will probably ramble more than most of them. My brain is functioning at 5wpm...

I have some sort of vicious cold that has left me looking like Rudolph and sounding like a seal. My head is screaming in some sort of language I don't understand and I can't breath when I eat. You can hear me from a mile away with these sniffles. (Sorry if you don't get any sleep neighbor, it's just me sniffling)

(Speaking of you neighbor... now that you know I'm sick, it's probably good you couldn't play, sometimes my texters work faster than my brain)

My sweet family is great at sharing. This time they shared the flu with Nate. He's a trooper and stayed at work all day long, have I mentioned he's my hero?!? Luckily he has tomorrow off and I'm not even leaving a "if you want a happy wife do these things" list.

Enough said, I'm hitting the Nyquil and drifting off.

Have the best day of your life,

PS - I'm not good at waiting. I want to give the Must have away today but I'll stick to my word and wait until Friday. Just know, next week, I'm giving it away on Tuesday!

Must have Monday: Giveaway!

2010-09-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

There are certain smells that immediately remind me of something from the past, my must have for today is one such item. When I was younger I had a love for the girliest things in life. I didn't care for pants and my dresses had to twirl, almost all the shows I watched contained a princess or two. I played with Barbies, make-up sets and had numerous tea parties. Pink was the only color that mattered, and I constantly drempt of being a ballerina.
One of the items I loved was my Tinkerbell lipgloss. (Please tell me you remember Tinkerbell make-up, only the best in little girl cosmetics?!?) I remember applying that to my lips numerous times a day. I would carry it around in my little purse just happy as could be that I was grown-up enough to have lipgloss. It didn't look like the one pictured below but it came in a little tinkerbell compact and the smell was delightful!

Well on a recent trip to Sephora I found this little delightful lip balm and fell in love. The minute I opened it I was taken back, the smell is almost identical (probably better) to that of my Tinkerbell lipgloss. I bought some because I was excited about the smell, now I love it because it's a simple treasure. I'm notorious for chapped lips, and this stuff works wonders on my lips. It's also great for that dewey lip look. I love to put it under and on top of other lipsticks because it's not goopey and gooey but it's still shiny. Don't laugh but I also use a little bit to keep my eyebrows in place, because a little confession, I have crazy eyebrows.
Can you tell I love this stuff?
Well I want you to have some too! So I'm giving one away! Leave a comment and you are entered, I'll annouce the winner on Fun Friday.

Have the best day of your life,

Welcome Back!

2010-09-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

I redecorated around here, do you like it? I'm excited to be blogging again, let the fun begin!

This time around I'm doing things a bit different, I'm going to start writing daily, my days will go like this:

Sweet Sundays - The things that touch my heart.
Must have Mondays - My latest items I cannot live without, this means giveaways!
Tell All Tuesdays - A weekly update on us Staley's.
Wordless Wednesdays - Just a picture and a title.
Thoughtful Thursday - People, places, and things that inspire me.
Fun Question Fridays - I like to pretend people take interest in my ramblings so ask me any random questions through out the week and I'll answer them.
Story Saturdays - A day for stories; past or present.

Have the best day of your life,
Court

To get back to my most recent post, click here.

Under Construction!

2010-08-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

I'll be back soon!

Post Edit: Help the Holdaways, READ THIS

2010-07-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

POST EDIT:
Just in case anyone is still interested in donating there is now a better way. Go to NTAFund.org and search for Tyler Holdaway. All donations made through NTA go directly to medical expenses.
Tyler returned to Heavenly Father on July 22nd. Please continue to keep April and their families in your prayers.
Thanks,
Court

I don't know April very well. Her and I went to the same high school for a year and we are friends on Facebook... beyond that I can't say much, but recently April and her husband have been in my constant thoughts and prayers, here is why...

Right now Tyler needs a liver transplant. He is suffering from Acute Liver Failure. Tyler is in very serious condition and it seems to be a waiting game with time running out. April's faith and dedication is amazing. Her status updates are positive and hopeful, she has complete faith in the Lord's plan for her sweetheart. A page has been created for Tyler, Team Tyler Holdaway. More information about his condition is on this page, it's also a good way to show your support for this couple.

I know that I have asked my blog readers to help with many causes but this trumps them all. April and Tyler need your help. The cost of a lengthy hospital visit continues to add up. Our Heavenly Father has a plan for Tyler, whether that plan is here on Earth or in the next life there are expenses that will continue to come and so I'm asking you to help.

I know not all of us can contribute financially, if anything please prayer for Tyler and April. Our prayers and faith will continue to give comfort and peace, I know that prayers are truly felt by those who are going through trials because I've felt that love and peace.

If you can contribute I've added a button on this post and on my blog to make donating easy. I will send the money to April as I receive it. If you aren't able to donate but know of someone who could, please ask. I know it's uncomfortable but say a little prayer and do it anyway.

There will be a car wash held in Kuna today, for more info go here.

I'm asking anyone to read this to pass the word along. Social networking and blogging can have a huge impact, I've seen it happen before but you have to help. I'm asking you to change your facebook status, your myspace status, Tweet about it, add a link to this post. We can get the word out and quickly. If you have a blog please blog about this. It can be as a simple as posting a link to my blog. I need your help in helping Tyler and April.

If you need a little extra incentive to help here it is...

If you blog about this, change your FB status or tweet about it leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win a $10 gift card to Target.

If you donate or get someone else to donate leave me a comment or email me at helptheholdaways@gmail.com and you'll be entered to win lunch on me or a $25 gift card to the restaurant of your choice.

If you have any questions email me at helptheholdaways@gmail.com. I'd love to hear additional ways we can help out!

Love you all,
Court

A Little Inspiration

2010-07-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

This is the newest video on MormonMessages, I especially love this one...

Life is good...

2010-06-22T22:56:00.001-07:00

Nate and I celebrated being married 3 years on June 9th! I'm such a lucky girl to have him in my life. This past year has been so amazing for the both of us, I cannot begin to explain how grateful I am for the tender mercies that come from such a loving Heavenly Father! Nate truly is my other half, he seems to be strong in all the places I am lacking.

Hmm, I love loving him!

Life is great and I can't complain!

Sidenote:

To be inspired watch this video!

Think about it...

2010-04-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

(Tasha is to my left)

Tasha and I met when Nate and I lived in Baltimore. Nate and Tasha's husband, Ryan, sold security together. We had a blast cooking, baking, watching shows, shopping and just hanging out. Tasha is a fun, bubbly, energetic, compassionate person to be around! As a sidenote we share a birthday so I teased that we must have been best friends in heaven.

I'm not the greatest friend and haven't kept in contact like I should but Tasha is doing something amazing and I want to get as many people as I can involved! Tasha is doing the Susan G. Komen 3 day for the cure, 60 miles in 3 days! Like I said this girl is amazing!

Along with the 60 miles each participant is suppose to raise $2,300. From reading her blog it sounds like Tasha is working hard to get those donations. I just wanted to help spread the word because I think what she is doing is worth raving about!

Make a donation! $5, $10, $20, $100, it goes to a good cause and every dollar counts! I know for most of us things are tight but consider eating out one less time this month, or skipping out on the ice cream on your next grocery trip, and there you have $5. If you are inspired go here to make a donation. If you aren't able to donate contribute another way, spread the word! Either way I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated!

To get people donating I'm doing a little giveaway...
A $15 GC to your favorite store or lunch on me(if you live close)!
You can get two entries into the drawing, here's how:

Donate any amount and leave a comment on this post saying "I donated"
Blog about it on your blog, then leave a comment on this post so I can check it out

Good luck to Tasha!

Court's Thought Bucket

2010-04-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

Guess what Court's Thought Bucket is back!
I finished Bucket #1, To read Day 20 go here.
I'm excited to tell you that I am starting Bucket #2 soon.
I have something I'm excited about and I'm going to post daily.
Hope you join me!
Toodles!

Bittersweet

2010-03-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a day of tears and smiles, good memories and family.

Yesterday we said our temporary good-byes to Grandpa and gave lots of snuggles to Gma.

Yesterday was a hard day.

Yesterday I cried and felt sorrow, I had a deep sadness in the center of my heart.

Yesterday we were grateful that Grandpa was no longer suffering.

Yesterday Nate gave me lots of snuggles and I felt very grateful for such a wonderful husband.

Yesterday I learned that death is one of the reasons for the Atonement, it was a tender moment.

Today life continued.

Today I watched a video of Grandpa, it was good to hear his voice.

Today I thanked my Heavenly Father that families are eternal.

Today I imagined Grandpa busy doing the Lord's work.

Today I got teary eyed a few times.

Today I relied upon the comfort of the Savior.

Today I prayed for Grandma.

Today I took time to love and listen to my sweetheart.

Today life was more precious than normal.

Tomorrow will be a new day.

Tomorrow I get to go to church, with a renewed sense to be a little better.

Tomorrow I will work on myself so that I'm worthy to be with my family again.

Tomorrow I'll still feel sad, but it's temporary and I'll see him again.

A Post You Should Read...

2010-02-04T16:36:00.000-08:00

(Kels, please don't kill me for doing this...)

So I have this friend, but not just any friend, she's one of my best friends.
Well she's amazing...
She's one of those people who encourages you to be better without saying a word.
And again she has me in awe of her amazingness.
She wrote a blog post that I just love, it's a simple truth and she explains it so well.
If you want to be inspired go here:
http://clarkandkelsie.blogspot.com/2010/02/matters-of-heart.html

Hope all is well,
Toodles!

I'm Back on the Blogging Wagon!

2010-01-15T22:16:00.001-08:00

Hi Friends!

I hope life has been treating you well.

Guess what?

I'm back,

for real this time!

I'm sure you were tired of the Halloween pictures from centuries ago...

I was.

Just a few recent happening in our lives:

Boise State won the Fiesta Bowl and we had a blast watching it. Since we weren't able to make it we did the next best thing and watched it from the Egyptian Theater. Can I just tell you, I love college football and along with my cute husband I am actually sad this season is over... what has marriage done to me?!?

We celebrated my 22nd birthday on the 13th.
Yes I'm another year older. When it comes to being wiser, well we will see.
Turning twenty-old I learned something...
After 21, birthdays lose their magic. Don't get me wrong, Nate made it special, but birthdays are no longer a big deal, it's just another day. It's just a time for me to forget how old I am for the next few weeks, I'm 21... wait I mean I'm 22.

(Sorry no pictures, bummer for you)

Nate loves his job. The company he works for treats him really well. Our benefits are amazing and they have just been really good to us. The company he works for is growing which is nice job security, especially at this time. They are starting to expand into other markets and so Nate has been given the chance to learn Russian. He is learning it through Rosetta Stone and it's on company time so he's getting paid to learn. Not only will this help him advance within this company but it will just be great knowledge to have.

I am still nannying and I enjoy it (most days). I have become really attached to the children I nanny and the family loves having me in their home. Over the last few months I've recognized that this is my talent and that my calling in this life is definitely to be a mother (no this isn't an annoucement, not even a hint of an annoucement to come, that's still a way off). I have had several tender moments with the twins and it has made me excited to have a family of my own in the future. I look at nannying as a chance to practice on someone else's kids and get paid for it. I have learned several valuable lessons that will come in handy when I have a family. The other benefit to nannying is that I am able to develope good mothering habits now, especially patience. There will be times when Miss J (4yr) will test my patience to the point I want to lose it but then I remind myself that I need to treat them the way I want to treat my children and somehow that ends it right there. Just in nannying there is an immense amount of love, I can't wait to see the overwhelming love I will have for my own babies.

Little Miss (the girl twin) and I

Well that's enough for now, until next time.

Toodles,

Court

A little blast from the past!

2009-10-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!
Since I'm minus a camera (don't drop a purse with a camera off of a balcony, the camera never wins),
and I've been pretty boring lately,
I pulled out the old scanner and stole a few pictures from my madre's house.
With a little help from Picasa,
TA DA,
A Little Glimpse of the Past...

And I didn't want you to miss out on these beauties cause I'm a bit self absorbed, kidding....

A little taste of the future

2009-10-16T23:37:00.001-07:00

So I'm back, I promise this time...
This blog is going under for some cosmetic reconstruction, it's getting a much needed facelift.
Don't worry though, once the blog recovers (and I get my hands on a camera) I have some great stuff to share.
For now check out Court's Thought Bucket, after an eternity Day 19 has been posted. Enjoy.
Hope things are better than terrific. Thinking of you until next time.
Toodles!

Hmm

2009-08-08T06:09:00.000-07:00

This post has been a long time coming.
It's still coming, but words do not come quickly when writing about the past few months so for now this will have to do...
This post has been started and erased several times.
Many things have transpired since the last time I blogged, much has changed in my life.
Just know I'm back, and eventually I have lots to share.

Socks

2009-05-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

It's all about the socks and inside jokes and how they stick around forever.

My fabulous friend Kelsie and I had our share of those inside jokes, one that stuck relates to socks.

It seemed that every time I saw her I was liking or dating someone new. One day after telling her about my newest flavor of the week she remarked that I changed boys more than I changed my socks. (Funny side note: I wore flip flops all the time in high school so you rarely found socks on my feet but I don't think Kels took that into account.) Kels, do you remember those bright green flip flops I loved to wear, YIKES?

Anyway back to my story...

So our new code word for boys became socks, it continued to be used through out high school and on through college. Well the day came that Kelsie found her Prince Charming and to culminate the sock joke I gave her, her final pair of socks. So here we are, two married girls with one pair of socks for the rest of our eternity...

So why do I share this sock story to all the world... no reason really, the story just came to mind as I've thought about how often I've changed jobs or have gone barefoot (unemployed). Yes recently I have changed jobs as often as I change socks (and nowadays I wear socks more often). But my friends I think I have found a pair of socks that will be around for quiet some time.

I hope all these sock analogies aren't confusing you, if so, keep up...

I am now a nanny to a cute family with a three year old little girl and a set of one year old mixed twins. By the end of the day I'm exhausted but I love my job! My days go by fast, and I enjoy going to work in the morning. I seem to have an almost constant smile as I go about my work. The diapers and bottles become a blur, especially when I'm changing 12 a day (did I mention the three year old is still working on using the potty). None the less I'd trade that any day over sitting in a call center, it's just not for me. I'm sure I'll have several amusing stories along the way but for now I just wanted to share the good news, work really can be enjoyed!

Now all this sock talk is making my feet cold so I'm going to find some socks, hope all is well!

Toodles until next time...

Just for Cassie

2009-05-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

My cousin said that I'm a slacker and I haven't been keeping up with my blog so here's a quick update just for her cute face (even though she is visiting and I just saw her). It can be for you too I guess :)

I dyed my hair and I love it even though Gma doesn't. I can't go all brown cause of the lack of pigment in my skin so this will have to do. I love to change my hair so after this I'm going platinum baby!
We had a fun Mother's Day and I felt like I was going to die because I was so full. I love love love having family close. Unfortunately that means double meals on holidays. We had a bbq with my mom's family (sorry for the lack of pictures) and then had normal Sunday dinner with the Staley crew. The boys were less than thrilled to take this picture because they were in the middle of a bball game(as you can tell by my husband's attire).

Then yesterday we got to celebrate Nate and his old age, just kidding. Nate turned 24 yesterday. We forgot to take a picture with the candles still in the cake so this will have to do. We spent the day together and then had a fabulous dinner at Tucanos. I also surprised Nate at work with a cute little birthday basket full of treats.
Hope all is well in your world, toodles until next time!

She's Alive...

2009-04-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to think of something clever to say in regards to my blogging hiatus but I got nothin...

Thought I would just give a quick update for those who are interested.

Nate is working and loves his job. He is a French interpreter for a global internet company based out of Boise. We feel really blessed that in this economy he was able to find a full time job for a stable company. They treat Nate really well and have high hopes for his future. Here soon we'll have benefits which means I can get my wisdom teeth yanked! Believe it or not I'm excited because they have been such a hassle. In August Nate will start back up at Boise State, he's dreading going back to school but we know it will be worth it.

I've been playing stay at home wife while I continue to look for a job. It was fun at first but now I'm bored and need something to keep me busy... I'll keep you posted.

Now that Nate is working we had great expectations to be out of my in-law's house by now. Unfortunately just as we were looking at apartments our transmission died, fabulous right?!? Luckily for us Nate's friend Kyle helped us get a really good deal on our new car. Here it is:

A 2008 Suzuki XL7

We really love it. At first I couldn't decide how I felt about the look, but it grows on you. It seats seven which is nice for trips and going out with friends, and eventually, not even close yet, it'll seat little Nates and Courtneys, one day.

So that's basically us in a nutshell. Sorry this post was so blah, I need to get back into my korky Courtney post. Until then hope all is well!

Toodles!

Fantastic Finds

2009-02-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

My cousin Amber has inspired me to achieve frugal goddess status.

To achieve this status you must be

a fabulous freebie finder
a confident coupon connoisseur
a deal delivering diva

Another responsibility of any frugal goddess is to pass her wealth of knowledge on to anyone she can find. Selfishness is terms to be dethroned. So my lovely ladies her are some of fantastic finds.

Jack (from Jack in the Box) was in a terrible accident on Super Bowl Sunday, he was hit by a bus. Well to show thanks for all the support Jack has received Jack in the Box gave out two free tacos to every person who printed off the coupon and came in today. Unfortunately I didn't find out about this early enough to share with everyone. Don't worry though, I enjoyed two tacos along with Mr.Staley about a half hour ago.
GOOD NEWS: Another FREE taco day is coming up shortly! On Thursday, June 26th, Jack is giving away two free tacos to anyone who brings in a gas receipt. Here's the link in case you want to watch his press release (they must have used a Jack double since Jack was hit by a bus): TWO FREE TACOS DAY Now this may not be the most fabulous find but Mr.Staley loves these tacos and I hate spending money on them so it's win-win for us.
I wanted to share another website that I LOVE: free-stuff-finder.com. This website is updated daily with links to free stuff and giveaways. I've received free make-up packets, lotion samples, random t-shirts, free picture prints, food samples, ect. Visit it, I'm sure you'll find a treasure or two. Right now they have one link for a free sandwich from Quiznos.
Finally here is the post that inspired it all. CLICK HERE. This link will take you to Amber's post about finding great deals. It has some additional links that will knock your socks off.

TOODLES!

And as a side note:

I know I still haven't shared my Special Olympics pictures but have no fear I'm editing and going through them and soon enough you'll get to hear all about it.

Another fun date with Mr.Staley

2009-02-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a really nice day so I decided to take full advantage of it! I told Nate to get dressed cause I was taking him on a surprise date. Somehow Goliath weasled his way into coming along when Nate felt bad as we locked him up. One look at those sad puppy eyes and its all over. So with dog and husband all packed up we headed to the old prison. Behind the old prison there is a cute little park and some fun little trails and paths that you can hike. We had a little picnic and then headed up one of the trails. It was nice to spend the day outside with my cute husband and little dog. It was really funny to watch Goliath and all the attention he got as he wiggled his little legs up the trail. After we finished our hike we decided to drive up to Idaho City and have dinner. I absolutely cherish care free days like this when everything is just perfect.

Where a grown up can be a kid

2009-02-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

My cousin Amber took her son Corbin to Chuck E. Cheese for his 2nd birthday. My mom, Tayter and Tommy all decided to tag along. I think Tay and I had a little too much fun. We told my mom we wouldn't have gone so token crazy if she would have taken us to these "fine" establishments at the appropriate age. :) My mom is a bit of a germ-a-phobe so kid friendly places like Chuck E Cheese, the circus and the fair were off limits growing up. Anywho we had a blast and when it was all said and done left with some pretty sweet prizes. With my 300 tickets I got some cotton candy and playdough (insert oh's and awe's here). Here's some pictures of Corbin and Amber blowing out candles on top of the pizza, Tay with her fabulous prizes, Tay and I having a blast, and me (I think the picture says it all).

Thank You!

2009-02-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to all those who sent pins my way! I gave them away and the athletes loved them. So again,

THANKS!

During the games there was no time for blogging so I have some catching up to do. I have lots of pictures and stories to share but first I need to catch up on some sleep.

Until then I hope all is well!

Toodles!

The start of a fun adventure

2009-02-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update.

Nate received his delegation assignments. Notice the (s), yes, he was given two.

He was starting to panic Friday when he still had not heard from our supervisor, so I gave her a call. I just casually asked a few questions related to my delegation and then slipped in, "Nate just wanted to make sure you still needed him because he hasn't received his assignment yet." She explained because of Nate's language and cultural experience he was considered one of their strong DALs. So they were saving him for a unique country that would need that strength. He was feeling pretty special after hearing that.

I think it went to his head a little.

Anywho, late Saturday night Nate got his delegations. His two countries are:

Tunisia and Yemen.

They are both Arabic speaking countries with second languages being French for Tunisia and English for Yemen. It'll be quite the challenge but Nate is excited about it. He is determined to pick up some Arabic during the next two weeks.

Soon our delegations will start to arrive, and by soon I mean today. Yemen arrives tonight, Gibraltar arrives tomorrow night and Tunisia will be here on the 5th,

PRETTY EXCITING!

Also I want to thank all of you who've donated pins! It's been fun to check the mail this past week as they start to arrive. I'll be sure to post pictures so that you can see all the pins we end up with. I'm taking my laptop along and will try to update it daily with stories and pictures.

Also here is the info on the opening ceremonies.

In the Boise area it will be on KTVB Ch.7 on the 7th.

It will also be streaming on the Special Olympics webpage.

TOODLES!

PINS NEEDED

2009-01-21T18:32:00.000-08:00

Only 10 days until the Special Olympics World Winter Games are here in Boise, ID. I'm getting so excited! We still haven't heard what delegation Nate will be working with but I've had a chance to talk to my HOD (Head of Delegation) and I can't wait to meet her in person.

I NEED YOUR HELP!

In my previous post I talked about pin trading during the Special Olympics. The athletes love trading and collecting pins from others who are at the games. Nate and I are looking to have plenty of pins to give away during the games. We want to have enough to give at least one to each of our delegation's athletes. As I went out to purchase the pins I realized this is quite a spendy project. That is where you come in. Do you have any lapel pins that are just stuffed away in a drawer, do you know of someone who would like to donate to our cause, do you want to buy just one pin and contribute to our collection? Anything would be much appreciated, we are looking for all sorts of pins. Anything that has to do with Boise or Boise State, Idaho, pins from across the United States, Disney characters, sports teams, hobbies, ect(just nothing political or religious).

If you'd like to help leave me a comment or email me at courtastaley@yahoo.com. I can then give you our address to send your pins.

I promise this isn't going to turn into a fundraising blog. I've just become really passionate and excited about the Special Olympics. I know this is going to be an amazing experience!

I hope to hear from you and THANKS in advance!

2009 World Winter Games DISCLAIMER: long post, worth reading

2009-01-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

The Special Olympics are approaching...

Just in case you don't live in the Boise area or have no communication with the outside world The World Winter Games are in Idaho this year. In less than a month countries from all over the world will be here in Boise to participate in the Special Olympics.

IN FACT

These World Winter Games will surpass the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics by number of athletes participating and number of countries attending.

Sports include

snowshoeing (McCall)
alpine skiing (Bogus Basin, Boise)
floor hockey (Expo Idaho, Boise)
snowboarding (Sun Valley)
figure skating (Qwest Arena, Boise)
speed skating (Idaho IceWorld, Boise)
cross country skiing (Sun Valley)

I didn't realize how competitive these games were until I got involved. Did you know...

that some of the athletes times are comparable with olympic athletes?
Some of the countries are so serious about the games they bring wax technicians (these people are only here to wax skis and snowboards)?
The Special Olympic athletes have to win several previous events and meet qualifying times before they come to the World Winter Games?
The Special Olympics also provides an amazing program called Healthy Athletes, this provides health screening and services to all athletes participating in the games. Main screenings include dental, vision, podiatry, hearing, and overall health.

Nate and I are excited to be volunteering for these games. In fact due to Nate's language skills (French) and my enthusiasm for this opportunity Nate and I get to be Delegation Liaisons. This means both of us will be assigned a country and for the duration of the games we will act as a middle man between the head of that country and the Special Olympics Committee. For the space of the games we are attached to our assigned country and their HOD(Head of Delegation). This means we stay with our delegation at their hotel, we travel to their athletes' events and we attend all meetings the HOD is required to attend. After attending several trainings this is starting to become reality. On Friday we got to go pick up our Special Olympic gear and I received my assignment. Drumroll please...

My delegation is Gibraltar!!

I didn't really know much about it but I've done my research and I'm so excited to meet my delegation. I have 25 delegation members with athletes competing in floor hockey and snowshoeing. This means I will be in Boise for a few days and then headed up to McCall for a few days. Altogether I will spend 9 days with my delegation.

Unfortunately Nate has to be patient. They are still assigning the delegations who need language assistance so Nate has to wait a few more days but we'll keep you updated. When he had his interview he expressed interest in a French speaking African country but we'll see...

The games start February 7th, 17 Days!! Are you excited because I sure am?!

Is your church this fun?!

2009-01-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

Nate and I teach the nursery class in our ward at church. Nursery is age 18 months to 3 years old. Each week we get to spend an hour and a half playing with toys, singing songs, coloring, eating snacks and teaching these cute little kids about basic gospel principles (Jesus Loves Me, Families Can Be Together Forever, I Can Pray). I kind of feel like I'm cheating at church, who wouldn't want to go to church and play with these little kids? Today as part of our day we played with Play Dough, I'm not sure who had more fun?
There is one little boy who adores Nate. Today Nate was being silly with the kids and said, "Whatever dude" in a surfer voice. The little boy quickly mimicked Nate and laughed. He thought it was so funny he kept doing it over and over again. Hopefully he doesn't go home and tell his mom look what Brother Staley taught me today, "Whatever dude."

Birthday week comes to a close

2009-01-18T00:09:00.001-08:00

The big day has come and past and I find myself another year older and non the wiser. Yes folks, I surrendered my vertical license and was given a horizontal one.

Tuesday I turned 21, sigh...

21 is a milestone age for most of the world, but being a Latter Day Saint 21 is just another year older. (This is because we do not drink alcoholic beverages) For me it was a reminder of the previous year in which not a lot has been accomplished, bummer. I was completely ok with the day passing with little to no recognition and continuing on with my life. As it turns out what I wanted to be a quick day turned into a week long celebration, courtesy of a kind family and divorced parents. Tuesday night we went out to dinner with my mom, grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles. The celebration continued Wednesday with dinner at my dad's house and some more generous birthday gifts. Thursday I went and spent my birthday money from G & G Harris and John and Val (the ever so kind in-laws who put up with us and provide a roof for our precious little heads). I had my hair done and got some new clothes. Thursday night Nate and I went out to dinner just the two of us to "celebrate." After all, if I wouldn't have come into this world Nate would be minus a spouse (or at least not this spouse). Friday we decided to take a little night away and stayed in Boise. We went out to dinner and then went and saw Defiance. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it. It's a very well done movie about some of the Jews that hid in the forest during the time of Hitler.

And so birthday week comes to a close, finally. Thanks to all those who sent tender birthday wishes or took time to call, it brightened my birthday.

Warning computer user is a blonde...

2009-01-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ok if you don't me personally now might be a good time to let you in on a little secret...

I may or may not be a little dramatic, especially when I'm flustered.

AKA yesterday

If you aren't familar with my woes of yesterday visit the previous blog HERE.

So turns out my computer isn't as electronically challenged as I had previously lead you to believe.

The user, well that's a different story.

Yep folks, this computer genius (cough, not true, cough, cough) just had to take her computer out of safe mode and run an additional spyware test to find a nasty little adware program hiding itself in the midst of computer intel.

HOORAY!

This means you'll continued to be tortured by my daily rants and raves about my dog, my husband, nursery and anything else I deem important that day.

Even more importantly this means

A) I can read comments (hint, hint)

and

B) I can leave comments again.

Blogging Hiatus, courtesy my computer

2009-01-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

Well my faithful blog readers grab some tissues I have some pretty devastating news.
(sense the annoyed sarcasm in my typing)
Thanks to the wonders of technology, phff, and our lack of extra funds I will be taking a blog hiatus.
Let me elaborate on my sad sob story...
Nate informed me the Internet wasn't functioning correctly. Because I tend to think I know it all (yes, it's a flaw I'm working on) I took his comment lightly and attempted to correct the issue, FAILED... restarted the computer, FAILED... ran a virus check, NOTHING.
Our computer has decided to lock us out of most websites, apparently the computer knows best and is trying to keep us safe. We had our computer cleaned less than a year ago,
a year,
you think it would last a little over a year, BLASTED THING!!
Just to log into blogger it took me over 15 minutes, FABULOUS!!
(again sense the annoyed sarcasm)
So I apologize for my lack of blog etiquette over the next few weeks, I can read your blog but unfortunately I've been grounded via my computer from leaving comments. I will continue to read faithfully and I'll continue in my efforts to fix this darn thing. I might even get desperate and go bum one of my cousin's computers for an hour or two...
But until then Ou Revoir.
Just an added word to the wise, don't worry about leaving comments. According to this stupid piece of plastic and electronic chips your comments may contain viruses, so I'm not allowed to access them.

Goliath's video

2009-01-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

In the previous post I mentioned I made a slideshow, unfortunately it won't let me add it under that post so here it is...

One year older and wiser too, Happy Birthday to you!

2009-01-06T12:21:00.001-08:00

This post may come across a bit pathetic... yet somehow I just couldn't resist. Over this past year I've transformed, yes it's true, I'm now one of those crazy pet people.

Exhibit A:

Recently as I was doing laundry I realized Goliath now has his own little wardrobe. Yep we dress our dog for special occasions. He has a homemade BSU sweater, a jersey and his most recent addition, a homemade Christmas sweater so he could go with us to an ugly sweater party. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the ugly sweater (Amber can I get those from you, pretty please) but if you'd like to see the BSU sweater click here.

Exhibit B:

WE (yes even Nate does it, but he won't admit to it) treat Goliath more like a child than a dog.

Point A- We refer to our parents as grandma and grandpa when Goliath is around. (insert realization of how pathetic that probably sounds to the rest of the world)

Point B- When Goliath is in trouble he gets a spank, and sometimes gets sent to his room (aka the bathroom)

Point C- We added an additional stocking this year so Santa could visit Goliath also.

Point D- When we leave the house without Goliath he cries and howls and then goes and finds a place to sulk.

Um, I think I'll leave it at that.

Exhibit C:

Nate and I went and saw Marley and Me (a must see by the way). By the end of the movie I had crocodile tears running down my face and it was because I was thinking about Goliath. Immediately after the movie I came home and snuggled my puppy for a good while.

Exhibit D:

Today we are celebrating a special day, a certain dog turns 1 (7 in dog years of course). Hence the reason for the birthday post. Over this past year Goliath has created some pretty noteworthy memories and we couldn't imagine not having him as part of our little "family." Here are some of our favorites:

Goliath was suppose to be a surprise for valentine's day but it didn't really work out the way Nate had hoped. Nate had left the house to go "run some errands." After awhile I get a phone call from Nate asking if I could drive out to Caldwell with the spare key because he locked the keys in the car. Wondering what my husband was doing out in Caldwell I drove out to find cute little Goliath all snuggled up in Nate's jacket.
We had the missionaries over for dinner one night so we threw Goliath outside so he could play with Tuff, my inlaw's BOY dog. Well they both decided to come sit at the sliding glass window which happens to be right next to the dinner table. As we are eating Goliath starts doing unmentionable things and the missionaries are the ones to notice. YIKES, talk about embarrassing. Needless to say we have our concerns about Goliath and have been tempted to find him a girlfriend.
Goliath taught himself how to play fetch. He'll hold his rope and spin around in circles so he can throw his rope up in the air and then he'll run and grab it.
Goliath is a bit of a mama's boy. If Nate gets mad at him Goliath runs and hides behind me. He also gets his feelings hurt, if you tell him no, he'll go curl up in a ball and pout, not kidding.
Goliath loves the car. When we say "bye" he runs straight for the door and spins in circles hoping he gets to go with. His favorite place in the car use to be on the ledge above the back seat. He loves to bark at anything outside the car window.
Like most dogs he loves to chase his tail. He goes for a long time and then when he stops he stumbles around because he's so dizzy.
Goliath is famous for giving you the confused look. He has his tongue hanging out with his head tilted to one side. You say something to him and he tilts it to the other side. He also follows conversations between two people.
If he is sleeping these few words always wake him up: treat, breakfast, food, dinner, and bye bye. If you say bye he not only wakes up but perks up his ears and gets in a stance to run toward the door.

Exhibit E:

I made a slideshow of my dog, oh man, maybe they have help for people like me, haha.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOLIATH!!!

Brandy said I wouldn't... that's worse than a double dog dare!

2008-12-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

Brandy,

Just so you know, I'm doing this just for you. Consider this the blog post dedicated to you... just because you had a speck of doubt that I wouldn't :D

7 Random Things about moi (This should be easy considering my random nature)

I'm terrified of the dark! I've been brought to tears more than once by a person scaring me in the dark. Until Nate and I were married I slept with a night light.
Pumpkin pie is the worst texture ever invented, it taste like regurgitated baby food (I can understand why the child spit it out). Eating pumpkin pie is like nails on a chalkboard.
I have a small obsession with Kyle Wilson's dreads(see here). He has gorgeous hair! One of my favorite things about BSU football games is watching Kyle Wilson take off his helmet and swoosh his hair around. WEIRD, I know...
I cannot wink with my left eye, anytime I try my right eye closes with it. If I try to hold my right eye opened my left eye won't close. YEP, I'm special that way :D
When I'm mad, nervous or upset I chew on the inside of my lip.
The sun gives me headaches. It also burns my skin. The sun and I are not friends.
I often forget people don't see what's in my brain so I spurt out really random statements and then I have to go back and explain myself.

Now it's your turn...

Christmas Letter 2008

2008-12-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,

We are excited to send our Christmas wishes to where ever you may be. At this time of year we are grateful to reflect upon the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Have a Merry Christmas and as this new year approaches we hope you are blessed with happiness and health. We send our love and keep you in our thoughts!

Love,

Nate and Courtney Staley

The Staley Top Five of 2008

Number 5- In February Nate and I went to Iowa to meet my three half sisters and biological father for the first time. While we were there we went to Winter Quarters which was an amazing experience.

Here I am with my three half sisters, Taylor, Emma and Kelsea Tyson.

Nate and I in front of the monument at Winter Quarters. This statue honors all those pioneers who suffered and lost loved ones at Winter Quarters.

Number 4- One of our favorite things is BSU football. Nate and I had a blast going to every home game this season. Nate also got to go to the Oregon game and the Nevada game with his dad. We are excited to see our Broncos beat TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Even Goliath is a Bronco fan.
Nate and I at one of the home games.
At Bronco Stadium, with the blue turf behind us.

The Oregon game that Nate and his dad went to.

Number 3- For Valentine's Day Nate and I went to Southern California for a week. We had a fun spending time together. We went to Laguna beach, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm and visited Nate's old hometown. When we returned to Idaho Nate had a surprise waiting for me, Goliath the pug. Goliath is my little shadow and I love having him around.

This is Goliath right after we got him. He's much bigger these days.

Nate and I at the beach in Laguna.

Nate and I waiting in line on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland

Number 2- In April Nate decided to try his hand at sales. Nate signed up to do security system sales in Baltimore for the summer. We packed up the car and drove 36 hours across the country. We didn't have great success with the sales part of it but living in Baltimore was amazing. While we were back east we went to the Baltimore Harbor, took a few trips to Washington DC, went and saw the Amish people in Pennsylvania, visited Philadelphia and visited Annapolis and the Naval Academy. In July I started to get homesick and sales weren't getting any better so we packed up the car and drove back to Idaho.

Nate and I in front of the Liberty Bell.

Us at the Baltimore Harbor.

Nate in front of the Capital Building.

In front of the Jefferson Monument.

NUMBER 1- While we were in Baltimore Nate and I were able to go to the Washington DC temple and be sealed as a family for eternity. There is not an experience that compares to going through the temple with my sweetheart. I'm grateful to know that we will be together forever.

Fantastic News, Drumroll Please...

2008-11-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

YAY!! I finally have a job and I'm so excited about it! I started training on Tuesday and my first "work" day will be Friday. I'm really stoked about working for this company! Everyone that I have met loves to work there. At first I was convinced it was too good to be true, the pay is amazing, the people working there are excited and happy and the incentives are sweet!! So you may ask, what could this job be?

I'm am going to be a Rainbow representative!! Yep that's right folks, I will be doing in home presentations for Rainbow Cleaning Systems and I'm so stoked!! This company is amazing and I've already fallen in love with their product. For those of you who don't know what I'm rambling on about a Rainbow is very similar to a vacuum, but let me assure you, it's not just a vacuum, it's basically a little piece of heaven. It's a government certified air purification system, it's a carpet cleaner, it cleans drapes, mattress, stairs, carpet, rugs, upholstery... anything you want really. It's a duster, a deodorizer, an air sanitizer: IT IS AMAZING!! And I'm not just saying that because I work there, really I promise. In fact at first I was a little pessimistic so I decided to do a little research, see what I was getting myself into. I couldn't find one bad thing about it... ok I lie, one person complained about the price, but really it's legit. Oh what has my life come to that I get so excited about cleaning...

Anywho that's my fantastic news!

I should be folding laundry... but that's no fun :D

2008-11-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I've just realized with all the surveys I've pasted to my blog it's starting to look like a teenage Myspace page, and well, that's just no bueno. I don't have much to update you on but I'll go for it anyway.

Goliath has recently learned a new trick. Nate taught him how to roll over, it's cute when he does it. Along with this trick we have learned that Goliath is not an ambi-roller, he will only roll to the left. The catch to the trick, he'll only do it for Nate, go figure.

In other news Nate and I recently got a calling in church. We are nursery leaders which means we get to spend an hour and a half every Sunday with all of the 1 to 3 yr olds. I love our calling and have so much fun with all our little nursery kids. We have a small nursery so we only have 6 little ones on a full day. I'm sure I'll have entertaining stories to come...

Recently Nate kind of threw me under the bus when a sister from our ward called looking for choir members. Nate told her he couldn't sing at all and then passed the phone off to me. Considering that I can't sing but I can't say no, I am now in the ward choir, my poor ward.

Unfortunately substituting isn't working out the way we planned. I found out I'm only able to sub as an aide because I'm not 21 so I haven't had many days of work. Likewise because Nate is so new to subbing he rarely gets called. We have continued the job search but have had little luck. I'm trying to learn from the experience rather than get flustered but each day that goes by becomes a little more stressful.

Just an interesting side note. I recently read an article that explained if a person writes out their goals they are more likely to accomplish them compared to someone who just thinks about their goals. Similarly if a person writes out their goals in color and displays them where they can see them daily they will complete their goals more quickly than someone who just writes them down. Point of this story I recently pulled out my Crayola markers and created a goal board, we'll see if this study is true or not. :D

Hope all is well with everyone!

All about Mr.Staley

2008-11-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

It's another survey, YAY :D

1. What's his name?

Nathan David Staley

2. How long have you been together?

Dating: 1 year 11 months 3 days (yep, I'm that pathetic)

Married: 1 year 4 months 28 days

3. How long did you date?

6 months

4. Who eats more?
Nate for sure

5. Who said "I love you" first?
Nate did and it was so cute, he was really nervous

6. Who is taller?
Even with my stilettos on I'm still shorter than Nate

7. Who sings better?
Let's just lay it all out on the table, our kids will have no vocal talent what so ever :D Goliath carries a tune better than us

8. Who is smarter?
Nate has more street smarts, as for book smarts it depends on the subject

9. Who does the laundry?
We share that task, we both wash, I fold, Nate hangs things up

10. Who does the dishes?
Nate's most hated chore is dishes, so most of the time I do but he's really good about helping out if I need it

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?

Nate does, unless I'm restless then we switch sides so I stop wiggling

12. Who pays the bills?

I do

13. Who mows the lawn?
Nate does, I'm not huge on the whole yard work thing, I'd rather clean house

14. Who cooks dinner?
At first Nate did every night because I was a horrible cook but while we lived in Baltimore I acquired cooking skills and now we take turns

15. Who drives when you are together?

Nate does :( and I quote my husband responding to me wanting to drive one night, "There's no reason to put our lives in danger when we can avoid it."

16. Who is more stubborn?
We are both equally stubborn

17. Who kissed who first?
Nate kissed me

18. Who asked who out first?
Nate did but only after I bluntly stated I liked him so he needed to do something about it or move along... I wasn't very subtle with the whole dating game

19. Who proposed?
Nate did and it was so precious

20. Who is more sensitive?
Me for sure, Nate can have his tender moments

21. Who has more friends?
Cousins count as friends and I have lots of cousins so I win, just joshing Nate has lots of friends too

22. Who has more siblings?
Nate wins by 2

23. Who wears the pants in the family?
Depends on the issue at hand...

Okay, now I will tag:

Any friend who is married (that includes you Grandma)

TAG, I'm it! And I tag all my cousins :)

2008-10-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Dessa tagged me so I'm be compliant and fill it out, but beware I'll tag you back Dessa!!

4 Random Things I Love About My Husband
1. Nate always makes me laugh, even when I'm cranky.
2. Nate holds the priesthood and helps me to better understand the scriptures.
3. We are best buddies, we always have fun together.
4. Nate is very forgiving when I interrupt or am a little irrational.

4 Jobs I've Had
1. Papa Murphy's Pizza Maker
2. Bank Teller
3. Office Assistant
4. Banker

4 Movies I've Watched More Than Once
1. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
2. PS I Love You
3. Zoolander
4. White Christmas

4 Songs I Listen To Over and Over
1. Miss Invisible, Marie Digby
2. Lollipop, Lil Wayne
3. Our Wedding Song, Kalai
4. Daughter of a King, Jenny Philips

4 Places I've Been
1. The Tillamook Cheese Factory
2. Washington DC Temple
3. Intercourse, PA to see the amish people
4. Disneyland

4 of My Favorite Foods (I'm cheating and listing restaurants)
1. Cafe de Paris
2. Eagle Rib Shack
3. Hong Kong
4. Texas Roadhouse

4 Places I Would Like to Visit (cheating again this is 4 trips I'm going to take when Nate makes millions)
1. Mauritius/Reunion/Madagascar/South Africa
2. All of Europe
3. Boston/Providence/New York
4. A church history trip

4 Things I Look Forward to in This Coming Year
1. Moving into a house and having Kels live with us
2. Going back to school
3. Turning 21
4. Celebrating our 2nd anniversary

Untitled

2008-10-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

I hope you all enjoyed the B-E-A-utiful pics of our future children but I decided it was time for a real update.

Nate and I will start to sub for the Meridian School District on Monday, we were suppose to start today but unfortunately the background checks took longer than normal. We have also applied at a local call center to work nights. It's ideal hours and they offer insurance so we just keep bugging them until they hire us or file a restraining order :)

I was suppose to go to Utah next week to have my wisdom teeth pulled but I chickened out. It was a study for a new pain killer and I didn't want to get stuck with the sugar pill, so we decided we would just wait until we have insurance.

In other big news my half-sister, Kelsea, is moving here in January to go to hair school! We are really excited to have her stay with us for awhile and she can't wait to leave Iowa. It works out perfectly because I was thinking about going to hair school so now I'll have a study buddy. Nate will also be returning to school this January, he has decided he really wants to teach high school history and coach football.

Nate and I have started to look at houses seeing as we can't live with Nate's parents forever. We are so grateful that they have let us bug them this long; we are also VERY excited to be on our own again! We have decided we are going to live in Meridian since we are subbing there and the call center is in Meridian. We also want Nate and Kels to be close to school so they don't have as long of a commute.

Well that's pretty much our life in a nutshell... until next time,
TOODLES!

I don't think we'll be having kids anytime soon...

2008-10-16T19:35:00.001-07:00

What do you think about my little new baby Colten ?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

2008-10-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

What do you think about my little new baby Madalynn?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

Father Son Bonding

2008-10-09T10:34:00.001-07:00

Nate and his dad are both huge Bronco fans. When Nate's dad got two tickets for the Oregon game they had to hold a raffle to decide which brother would get the extra ticket. You can imagine how excited Nate was when his name was picked. Nate and his dad had a blast!

Nate at Autzen Stadium
Nate's Dad waiting in line (he wasn't very excited that Nate was taking a picture)
The field
Outside Autzen Stadium

Memorable Date Night

2008-09-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last Friday for date night Nate and I decided to venture from our usual dinner and a movie and do something different. Nate decided we'd go on a photo scavenger hunt, and we had a blast. First we took two pennies and wrote cities on each of them, Eagle, Meridian, Boise and a star for pick one. Once we had our defaced pennies (shh, don't tell) we took turns picking a hand, then we flipped that penny to decide where we would go. Once we had our city one person would pick a letter and the other person had to choose a thing that started with that letter. Once we had our word we ventured out to find it and take a picture. I'm sure I'm making this sound really complicated when it really took us a whole two seconds to decide.

Then we started our adventure:
Our first stop was an "S" in Meridian, Nate decided on the Seed Silo.
Next up was "R" in Meridian, so I picked a Race car. Lucky for us it was the last night of races at the Meridian Speedway so we found a race car in the parking lot and took a quick picture before someone thought we were up to something suspicious. PS the sun was in our eyes.
Our next stop we cheated and picked "R" in Eagle because we were getting hungry and the Rib Shack sounded delicious. If you haven't tried this place I recommend it, it's basically amazing!
Next Nate choose "A" in Boise. At first he wanted to find a basket full of Apples, but after we ventured through Hyde Park unsuccessful we decided on Appleton Tennis Courts at BSU.

Our next stop was "I" in Boise. Together we concluded an Ice cream potato would be a perfect dessert. On our way we saw a crazy lady with dreads down to her feet and really exotic clothing. She looked like she was about to cast a spell on someone, scary.
Here's our delicious Ice cream potato at Westside Drive In, MMM, so good.
Next was "E" in Eagle, so we were creative and picked the Eagle. It's right at an intersection so people were staring at us but we were in our own little world having a blast so we didn't really care.
Our second to last stop was "P" in Meridian so we found this Park bench, and then picked our finally letter in Nampa.
Our final letter was "L" in Nampa. Nate decided on Lakeview Park and we took our final picture. While there we saw a dog who looked more like a human than a dog.

We had so much fun spending time together. I'm grateful to have my best friend for the rest of forever. Because we've been running in every direction this past week and we are living with Nate's parents I've realized the importance of date night. Every week it gives us a moment of bliss in this crazy world.

Pandora.com

2008-09-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Online radio generator, pretty cool, check it out.

Nothing blog worthy lately, so I'll hype up the little things

2008-09-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry no pics on this one, life has been pretty calm and boring lately. I have had 3 interviews in the past few weeks but none of them worked out... Major Bummer! I'm convinced this job search will never end and I'll be stuck at my in-laws the rest of my life, YIKES! Nate is just finishing up applications and orientations so he can be a substitute teacher and then at night he is doing some door to door sales with a friend. On a positive note: With both of us being unemployed we've had a blast spending every second with each other and I've become quite the chef.
This weekend Nate and his dad went to Oregon for the BSU game. I was excited that Nate got to go because he dreams in blue and orange but I missed him LOTS. Now I know it was only for 3 days but it was the first time we've ever been apart. Luckily I didn't have much time to be miserable because everyone was taking advantage of the fact Nate was gone. I had a slumber party Friday night with my dad and the syblings and we had a blast. We went out to the golf course and ate some chinese food, then we spent the night playing games and eating lots of junk food. Tay and I made a bet to see who could stay up longest and I won at 12:30. Because I won Tay has to come clean my bathroom once a week for a month, THANKS TAYTER!! The next day my mom and I had a fun girls day. We got pedicures, watched the BSU game with Gpa&Gma, then had a good laugh when Grandma got scared because of the thunder (love you Gma). After BSU dominated the Ducks, Mom and I went to a coffee house with all the cousins to listen to some music. Afterward I introduced my mom to delicious sticky fingers from Wingers and we went home and watched Stardust. It was fun to spend time with my fam but I can't tell you how excited I am to have my husband home!! You know the saying absense makes the heart grow fonder!

Kids are funny :)

2008-09-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today I watched two of my nieces and had one of those funny kid moments that I have to share. As I put the oldest one down for a nap she asked if I'd lay with her for a little bit. I told her I would but after 5 seconds of laying there I decided I was bored. I told her I needed to go call Uncle Nate and then I'd come back and nap with her. She looked at me skeptically and with her little three year old voice said, "Um are you fibbing?"

Tis the season...

2008-09-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Yep folks, it's that time of the year again. The 08-09 college football season has started. We had a blast going to the first BSU game and can't wait to see what happens this season!!

Us getting excited to see Boise State dominate Idaho State on the blue.
Nate's sister, Wendy, and her husband Steve

A little fun with Goliath!

2008-09-01T20:39:00.001-07:00

Late Friday night after I got done making a blue and orange headband for the first BSU game I thought I'd have a little fun and dress Goliath up for the game too. Nate and I took an old sweatshirt, did some professional seamstressing (only joking) and TA DA here's the end result. Goliath wasn't a big fan of it at first but he got use to it. We had a blast at the first BSU game, I'll be posting those pics soon.

Smilebooks Discount & Quick Update

2008-08-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

FYI: If anyone is interested in that online scrapbooking link, I found a sweet discount. Until 10/31/2008 you can receive 25% off any classic or deluxe scrapbook. Just use this code when you check out: BZZFRIEND. Just thought I'd share.

Since I'm on here I'll just give a quick update. The job hunt continues for Nate and I. We are getting really excited for the first BSU game, 8 days and counting. This past week has been pretty miserable as we are both sick. I got sick from Amber's kids and I thought it would be nice and share it with my husband. I've also had some issues with my wisdom teeth but after hearing how much it is to remove them without insurance I decided I would look it up on youtube and do it myself :) just kidding of course. Well now that I've probably rained on your parade with my "oh so uplifting update" know that we really are doing good, just excited for this week to be over. Love ya all!!

This is a sweet way to scrapbook...

2008-08-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

So I found this website, check it out. You do all the journaling and layouts and then they print it for you and ship it to you. I figure after buying all the scrapbooking stuff it cost about the same, hope you enjoy.
http://www.bzzagent.com//p/7555135265/courtastaley

The Great Outdoors

2008-08-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

I forgot how much I loved camping until this past weekend. My dad invited Nate and I to go along with them for a little weekend campout. It was fun to buy our first little tent(corny I know) and get away from life for a few days. We had a blast floating down the creek, playing in the hot springs, fishing, roasting marshmellows and playing campfire games. We had a fishing competition and I was the master fishergirl with five little rainbows. I even managed to unhook two of them myself, impressive, I know :) One of the best moments of the weekend was playing VROOOMMM, you sit around the campfire and make car noises but you can't laugh, you probably had to be there to find the humor in it but it almost had us in tears we were laughing so hard. Here are some pics to recap:

Our first tent

Water wars at the hot springs, Tay and Nate won. It was 95 degrees outside and 100 degrees in the water, we still had fun!!

Goliath had so much fun camping! He loved to smell and eat the flowers and plants.

Just chillin in the hot springs Taylor and Goliath after a little swim in the creek
Wet puppy, he likes to stick his tongue outWater dog pile
Nate and Tommy floating down the creek. It was so cold the floaties kept losing air.

Tay attacking me, yikes!! Fishing in the creek with my dad and Tay
If we crossed the creek Goliath would sit on the other side and cry, finally he overcame his fear of the log and decided to go across, it was pretty fun.
Dad and Goliath taking a little nap, we did a pretty good job of wearing them out :)

Tis the Season...

2008-08-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to my husband who thinks, dreams and talks blue and orange. His broncoitis is especially bad as the football season approaches... today he had a big annoucement:

Tomorrow starts fall camp!!

After a LONG off season (January through August), LOTS of broncocountry.com and SEVERAL stops at Bronco Stadium to see the progress of the expansion we are both getting VERY excited for the 08-09 season. I love to see the excitement in Nate's eyes when anything Boise State comes up, it is like a little boy on Christmas. My husband can talk sports for hours and it has definitely rubbed off. Some of our best dates have been to football and basketball games.

So I decided in honor of the upcoming season as we start to pull out all the blue and orange we would take a little walk down memory lane...

This is when Nate went to Fiesta Bowl with his fam, we weren't married yet so I was left behind.

One of our first dates was to a Boise State basketball game, little did I know it would only be the first of many. This was before I had "real" Bronco gear, so I thought an orange polo would do... little did I know it wasn't "Bronco orange"

The start of the 07-08 season, we had a blast going to all the home games!! It was also a perfect chance to spend time with Nate's family. I'm pretty sure Nate got his love of sports from his Dad.

Orange and Blue

Through and Through

Who needs friends when you have cousins :)

2008-08-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest reasons I was excited to come home was to be around family. It has been a blast to play with all of my cousins again. Last night we had a BBQ and played in Chris and Amber's pool. I look like a wet rat, despite that I'm posting some pictures because what's a blog without a few pictures.

Teri, Baby Gracie, Me, Linds, and Baby Connor

Amber and Drew having a cute mom daughter moment.
Amber chillin by the pool because she didn't want her hair to get wet.

Cute little Corbin

AquaPug

2008-07-31T09:02:00.001-07:00

2008-07-31T08:51:00.001-07:00

While nannying this weekend we decided to let our little Goliath go for a swim in the Poole's pool. His endurance didn't last very long. It made us laugh that he swims in circles due to his little humpback. After we took him out of the pool you could tell we hurt his feelings because he went and hid under the patio table and wouldn't come near us.

I got nothin'

2008-07-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well just a quick update to let everyone know we are home safe and sound. The drive home was LONG. We drove 17 hours stayed in Iowa for a day and then drove 20 hours, I don't recommend it. Once we got home we went and visited all of our family!! I was so excited to see my parents and Tay & Tommy and my Gma & Gpa and the list goes on. There really is no place like home :)
Now that we are all settled we are starting the job hunt. I'm pretty sure I've filled out a trillion applications... alas, no results. We are staying with Nate's parents right now so we don't have much motivation to unpack, knowing that it'll just have to be packed up once more.
As you can tell life isn't much more than a dull roar, so I'll stop boring you for now.
Hope life is splendid, toodles to you all.

You live, you learn, and then you go home...

2008-07-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well after much deliberation we have decided it is time for us to pack up the car, strap Goliath to the roof and start the long trek home. Unfortunately we have learned sales are not Nate's forte, it has become apparent that it is no longer beneficial for us to stick it out the remainder of the summer. Although this experience has not been one of immense wealth, Nate and I have learned several life lessons that will help us along the way. We were also sealed in a beautiful temple that will have a tender place in our hearts forever. It has been a blast to live on the East Coast, the experience alone was worth it. The people we have met are friends we will treasure for always! It's a bummer I have to leave my Baltimore besties behind. Tasha, Becky and Baby M, I'll miss you tons!!
Now I can't finish this blog without admitting a small, itty bitty piece of me is uber excited to be home! It's true... I'm a homebody and I miss my Gma. I also miss my plethra of nieces and nephews, who have grown like weeds the past few months. So for all you in Idaho, see you soon!!

Hapiness, Togetherness, Foreverness

2008-07-02T20:24:00.001-07:00

Grab some popcorn, pull up a chair, it's gonna be a long one folks...

2008-06-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

With life back to a calm breeze I have plenty of time to update my neglected blog.
Over the past couple weeks we have had my syblings and Nate's parents here. It was a blast to spend time with the four of them! We went to Annapolis, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Mt.Vernon and spent time by the pool and at the mall. My house in now especially lonely with everyone gone.
While they were all here Nate and I went to the DC temple where we were sealed together for eternity!! It was so wonderful to have Nate's parents, Brandon & Becky, Ryan & Tasha, Phil & Summer, and Brent & Angela there to support us. I don't think there will be anything in life that will compare to that experience, we are so happy! I'm so grateful to be with my best friend forever. I feel complete in life, and although it's not something words can describe, I love the feeling. I'm thankful to know that regardless of what trials we may face in this life, forever is how long we will be together. Although my family could not be here, G & G Milich, Aunt Sheri, Amber, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Julie went to the Boise Temple that day to be there in thought and prayer. I considered myself so blessed to come from such an amazing family!! I'm so grateful for the example my G&G have set, they get much of the credit for the person I've become.
Nate is staying busy with work, they've moved from Baltimore to York, PA, so he now leaves an hour earlier and gets home an hour later, it's true we are now eating dinner at 11:30! We are both getting excited to come back to Idaho. We have had a blast here but there's no place like home. ONLY 7 MORE WEEKS!!!
I'll put pics in a slideshow, stay tuned...

If it weren't so funny, I'd cry...

2008-06-29T20:23:00.001-07:00

But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads? -Albert Camus

2008-06-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Nate and I celebrated our 1st anniversary June 9th!! Because my siblings are visiting and Nate has a crazy work schedule we weren't able to do much but we both wrote tender letters to one another. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. It has been the happiest year of my life and I can't wait to see what's in store for us. When Nate got home from work we went to our FHE group and spent the night playing mafia and eating watermelon, it was oodles of fun.

Although celebrating our anniversary has lots of excitement by itself June 9th marked an even more important day, we are now able to go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity!! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am, which leads me to my next tidbit of bliss...

Yesterday, June 11th, I went to the temple for the first time. Everything about the experience was amazing. I didn't want to leave because I felt such peace and hapiness. I was so grateful to have my cousin Becky at my side through the whole thing.

Nate and I originally planned to fly back to Boise to be sealed in the Boise temple but then we decided instead of rushing ourselves we would stay here and be sealed in the DC temple. So next Wednesday, June 18th, Nate will be stuck with me forever!! I'm so excited to know that I get to spend forever with my best friend.

My visitors...

2008-06-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

MOM, TAYTER & TOMMY
My mom, Taylor and Tommy got here last Wednesday and it has been a blast to spend time with them. We went shopping, saw the Baltimore Harbor, and went to Washington DC. Luckily they were troopers and stuck it out in the heat. The day that we went to Washington DC it was 95 degrees but with the humidity it made it feel like 110 degrees, YAY for disgusting hotness.

Then on Sunday we took my mom to the airport, she'll fly back on the 19th to pick up my sister and brother.

Since my mom has left Tay, Tommy and I have continued to have a blast!! We went to Annapolis and saw the naval academy, once again in the humid heat. It was pretty cool to see. Here is Tayter and Tommy next to a mortar shell... It doesn't fail that I wear them out everyday because this is what I find in my back seat on the way home...

Random things about me...

2008-06-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Well my adorable cousin Becky passed this onto me from her blog so I'll be a good friend and continue it :)
1. Ten Years ago(1998) I was....
A decade, 4 months and 21 days old. I was living in Elko, Nevada and I was a 4th grader at Northside Elementary. My teacher was Mr. Preswitch and I was convinced he was the devil himself... until I saw him at church one day. He was a grumpy old man, who had class pictures all the way back to the days of black and white. Somehow he still thought the world of me and I got away with "murder" in his class. I think it was because one day he yelled at the class in a really angry voice, and being the pansy that I am, I began to cry. That year I won the spelling bee at our school and then messed it up at districts because I couldn't spell "appreciate." That's 1998 in a nutshell...

2. 5 places I have lived..
Nampa, ID
Star, ID
Elko, NV
Laughlin, NV
Fernley, NV

3. Things on my to do list...
I should be in bed considering I have training in the morning for work and I'm picking up my family from the airport, YAY!!!

4.Name three bad habits..
1. Utilizing the closet floor rather than hangers.
2. Referring to myself as a retard, idiot and newest to the list silly face(just for you Becky)... darn self confidence :)
3. I wait for my house to clean itself, then I wish for the house cleaning fairy, then I fill my time with anything else, just to avoid it... eventually I get to it, just in time for it to get messy again :)

5. Name all the places you have worked ..
HAHA, Papa Murphy's
US Bank
Somerset Pacific
AmeriCorps
US Bank
Directv
Crossmark

6. Name 5 things you don't know about me...
Uno) I'm very afraid of the dark, in fact I had a night light until Nate and I got married, not kidding
Dos) I played the french horn as a sixth grader. The instrument was bigger than me and I hated our director, he made me play scales everyday in front of the whole class, argh. (It was because I was the new kid.)
Tres) I hate English and grammar but I love to write, I'm kind of emo that way... poems, stories, ramblings(hence the blog).
Cuatro) I want to spend my life doing humantarian aid, traveling the world, helping others
Cinco) My sperm donor(aka biological father) found me on Myspace... top that Montel

Now I am suppose to pass this on... the lucky winners are anyone who knew me in high school, have fun!!!

I Dough know how...

2008-05-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

If you are one of my faithful blog readers(shout out to you g-ma) you are aware that I had quite the fiasco while making pizza, well the saga continues...
In my conquest to become a kitchen goddess I decided to attempt pizza crust once again, and I even stuck to the directions. I knew something was wrong as I tried to stretch the crust and it looked like swiss cheese(not kidding). Trying to make the best of a difficult situation I patched up the bigger holes and threw it in the oven, hoping for the best. Well sure enough by the time the crust was just starting to brown the cheese was going from light brown to burnt...argh. Being the good sport he is, Nate ate it anyways and commented on the "blahness" of the crust. I might just leave the pizza making up to our good friends at Vito's.
I would love to say the story ends there but the adventure continues... Nate decided he wanted hamburgers for dinner and he wanted homemade hamburger buns with it. I decided to spoil him and give it a go. Well I'll spare the details but we now have a plethra of white, tasteless rocks sitting on my counter. Nate made delicious hamburgers and we ended up eating them on stale buns that have been sitting on the top of our fridge for a while now.
So if any of you are bakery beauties advice is greatly appreciated! Oh and if any of you need a throw toy for a dog, I'm sure my "homemade hamburger buns" would work like a charm.
Love to you all & toodles until next time,
Court

I might still have my marbles but I can't find my keys...

2008-05-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hey there!
Today has been a day of failed recipes, lost items and a reflection of my ditzyness.
Let me recap...
First, I lose my cell phone, and because I feel naked without it I ran between our car and our third story apartment thrice just to realize it was in the closet, I could of sworn I was never in the closet with my phone.
Second, when you need something it's never around... this includes a notary.
Third, I learned a valuable lesson: when cooking you can substitute or take shortcuts... SOMETIMES,
that SOMETIMES excludes breads. If you are suppose to let it rise for hours, minutes will not do.
Fourth, keys are essential when opening a locked door, or at least I thought. Luckily for us there are some pretty talented technicians who can credit card a door in three seconds... I'm just grateful he uses his talent for good. This was a far better alternative to paying $50 to get in or sleeping in the hallway. Thanks Justin!
And finally, there are somedays when things just don't go your way... on days like that I would suggest you just sit down and play a game of marbles.

From Facebook to blogs...

2008-05-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

So I've finally decided to go with the trend and keep you all updated from our blog. To catch you up, Nate and I moved to Maryland a few weeks ago, and we love it. We are here for the summer while Nate sells security systems with APX alarms. Right now I am playing stay at home wife and I'm loving it. Nate loves it too because I've become quite the little chef. My fun is soon to be over though because I have an interview to nanny next week and I'm also going to be merchandising for General Mills. That about catches you up, stay tuned...
We love you and miss all of you back home!