Greetings from Oklahoma City!

The past two weeks have been a complete whirlwind! I feel reminded of the scripture from first Nephi, where Nephi explains that he writes about his life to "show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith..." We have seen so many tender mercies throughout these past few weeks that really confirmed to me that the Holy Ghost was directing us and that we were on the path that most pleased our Heavenly Father. 

Leaving everything we have known in the midst of our greatest trial yet is a terrifying prospect, especially when I knew it would also be hard for our loved ones to send us off. I spent a great deal of my time just before the move silently reflecting on our decision to move to OKC and praying for guidance on the matter in light of our recent news about Baby Askham. In one of these moments, the scripture from 2 Timothy 1:7 clearly came to me. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind." What a great reminder that fear doesn't come from Heavenly Father, but from the adversary (who wants us to be miserable!). When I get afraid, I just recite this scripture over and over in my mind and think about the choices I get to make (power) rather than the challenges that are forced upon me (fear). I think we are far more powerful than we realize. 

The days before the move:
After returning home from visiting my family for Christmas, we had a few days to get organized and finalize arrangements with Derek's work for the move. We had a wonderful time getting in last minute visits to our family in Pullman and our wonderful friends who have been so supportive. One wonderful surprise was the beautiful heirloom cradle Derek's grandpa gifted to us. He made it for his own children and now passed it on to us for our little one. 

The night before the movers came, I shed a few tears about leaving our wonderful little apartment, and then braced for the chaos of the next day.

Our last snuggle in our first place!

The movers took about four hours to pack everything and get it in the truck. Not only did they pack more quickly than I ever could have, they also insisted that I not even lift anything... long story short, I told Derek that I am never moving myself again... we need movers from here on out! ;) 

Arriving in OKC:
I know some people might think this is asking for trouble, but I had just been praying and praying that things would go smoothly during our move. I was feeling as though I had absolutely reached my emotional limit and I just couldn't bear any more stress. I feel so blessed because that prayer was absolutely granted, our plane flights from Pullman to Seattle to OKC went off without a hitch (which is a lot coming from two fearful fliers), nothing was wrong with our luggage, we were able to get our rental car in less than five minutes, and our hotel was fabulous. 

Sweet ride!

We took a day to rest up at the Residence Inn before setting out on some apartment hunting. We scoured the internet for some apartments that would work and ended up visiting the two top contenders. One of them (in Yukon, OK about 15 minutes from Derek's work) absolutely blew us away and we signed the lease a few days later. I would love to show off the new space a little, but I will save that for another post! 

The other apartment we had believed to be a "strong contender" ended up being absolutely terrifying. The second us two little white kids got out of the car, all these big black guys came out on to their porches to stare at us (needless to say, we don't fit in in the city very well...). I was pretty sure that we were about to be mugged, possibly during this apartment complex tour. The whole place was pretty terrifying (broken glass, slashed tires, questionable stains), and despite the "gated community", I was pretty sure I was more scared of the people inside the complex than out of it! When we got back into the car, Derek and I just looked at each other, shook our heads, and got the heck out of there!

About a block away from this apartment complex, I spotted a 7-11. I had silently been craving the most horrific pile of 7-11 nachos and a slurpee for about 3 weeks (no 7-11s in Pullman!) and when I saw this one, I just knew it was time! I told Derek that we HAD to go inside so I could get my nachos and he said that it seemed too scary (questionable activity going on between cars, people loitering and staring at us, a broken bumper in the middle of the road...). I teased him for being afraid (thinking I have been to scaryish 7-11s before!) and told him that we simply had to go inside. He laughed nervously but started to pull in anyways. Just then, a guy in all black pulled this black hoodie over his face and walked in the store (hello, Subway knife-weilding robber flash back?!) I told Derek I changed my mind and we got out of there as fast as we freakin' could! I almost peed myself from laughing so hard (which is easier when pregnant, but I digress). 

Adventures in Oklahoma:
Aside from almost getting shot on every corner of the city, we have enjoyed exploring our new home! Here are some pictures of our antics:

Does Hobby Lobby become less amazing when you have access to it all the time? I am not sure. I had so much fun looking at all the goodies and Derek pretended to smile for the picture.

Derek's Mom, Lisa, asked that I keep an eye out for fabrics I liked so she could sew some sheets for our cradle. I think I have decided I wanted some plain pastel colors for the sheets, but I happened to see this cute nursery rhyme fabric and had to take a pic. I might need to make a few pillows for the nursery out of this!

Our trip to Whataburger! I can see why people are fatter here, there is seriously amazing food on every corner! I was doubtful, but I loved it.

Out near the older part of Yukon is some pretty cool looking old stuff. I took this picture while Derek was driving. I love the lit "Yukon Mills" sign at the very top!

We don't have a washer and dryer for our apartment yet, so today we took an adventure to the laundromat. Do you have any idea how much more enjoyable laundry is when you have a nice place to sit and a huge table to fold on? No hunching necessary! Plus, it only took like $6 and you can get it all done in an hour (multiple loads at once!). Our goal is to purchase our washer and dryer before the baby comes, because with a set up like this, I am in no rush!

Family Updates:
One of our greatest updates is that my sister Hillary just had her beautiful baby, Henry Joseph, today! He is so cute and she looks amazing in all the pictures. Best of all they are both happy and healthy! Older brother Daniel is so excited to meet Henry. For all the trouble they will surely get into, I also know they will be the best of friends! Our baby is lucky to have two awesome cousins to show him the ropes! 

Our beautiful baby boy is getting bigger and bigger! His kicks are so strong that sometimes I scream out of surprise! It's really nice to have him as my little companion (even if it feels a little like I am hosting a parasite). I keep thinking of that sad quote from The Office where Michael Scott says something like "Someday I want to have 100 kids so I can have 100 friends." I just want to have ALL DA BABIES. I sort of hope that feeling goes away once the exhaustion of parenthood kicks in, otherwise this place is going to start feeling crowded. Luckily, third trimester is around the corner and I am pretty sure everyone hates the thought of another pregnancy then. 

Derek and I have been so grateful for the countless prayers, fasts, thoughts, and positivity sent our way. In a way I don't quite understand, we have seen how they have sustained us and given us strength through this hardship. I actually felt funny about calling our diagnosis of spina bifida our "greatest trial yet" at the beginning of this post because I feel like it has been......easy? That is so wrong to say, because it really has been hard, but I feel like this is a testimony of the amazing miracle that is the atonement. I don't believe there is any greater version of Hell for a mother than the thought of something happening to her baby. But through prayer, study, love, faith, and miracles, Derek and I have been blessed with the strength necessary to greet these challenges. Through Christ, we can all find rest from our heaviest burdens. 

My hands-down, go-to favorite scripture is in Alma 26, where Ammon preaches of the glory of God. He says:

11... But behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I willboast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

 13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought tosing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?

 14 Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell.

 15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlastinglight, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love

Whether we are referring to "chains of hell" brought on through our own choices or trials that are thrusted upon us, we can be brought to sing redeeming love.

Last time I posted, I discussed our options for surgery for our son. We found out after some detailed scans that our child's lesion is likely between S3-S5 (the lowest bones of the sacrum), giving him the best possible prognosis (likely no paralysis, but still with the possible need for a shunt and likely bladder issues). Because of this prognosis, we are not qualified for fetal surgery. Instead, baby will have surgery within a few hours of birth and will be in the NICU for a week or so (possibly more if doctors decide he needs a shunt). I said in the first post that I would be grateful for whatever option is given to us, and I am striving to be okay with having this out of my control. The greatest blessing I see from this is that Derek and I get to be together throughout our pregnancy, he will definitely be there for the birth, and that we have several months now to choose the doctors we feel will care best for our baby. There is a lot of scary stuff still to come, so we definitely appreciate your continued prayers.

In one blessing I received after hearing the diagnosis, one of the promises I was given was that Derek and I would grow even closer and more in love through this trial. This has been just the most joyous part of all of this! We appreciate each other more, make more time to help each other, we laugh together more, we have become more patient with one another, and when the feelings come and I wake up in the middle of the night to cry a little when I think no one is awake to notice, Derek always is there to quietly stroke my hair till I can fall asleep again. When I found out the diagnosis, I felt as though I would never be happy ever again. How wrong I was! The greatest happiness has come since that moment. I love being with Derek more than words can express, and I am so excited to bring our child home to his loving family. The best is yet to come, come what may and love it!

Internship, Puppy, Birthday, OH MY

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We are now back safe and sound in our apartment in Pullman, but we are still reeling from our whirlwind Summer. We enjoyed our time in the Tri-Cities so much. The area is actually quite pretty, the weather is hot (but bearable with AC), and there is PLENTY to do. Every once in a while I still find myself thinking about restaurants I want to go to or places I want to see, forgetting I am back in Pullman.

Internship:

We were really blessed to be given the opportunity to work jobs that were within our interests, and also gain a lot of skills while there. While I was working at a tutoring center, I learned that I just loved to help kids learn to read. I also learned I am not quite as bad at math as I once thought. It was hard to leave that job but I know Derek finishing his education and tying all the bows on our work here in Pullman is for the best.

Watching Derek's experience over the Summer has truly been unforgettable. It has been really fun to watch Derek find his niche and see the how he comes alive when he is where he needs to be. He put countless hours into studying, discussing, pondering, and reading up on various tools, coding languages, and software to really maximize his experience at PNNL. Within only a few short weeks, he became one of the few interns to receive his Splunk certification (which is a real thing, I promise), and demonstrated his ability to problem solve issues in a real-life scenario. Watching him work has really strengthened my trust in him. For a control freak like me who suffers from the conflicting feeling of wanting to go out and do everything for myself, while also wanting to someday be a stay-out-home mom with my future kids, it has put my mind at ease to know that I can hand over the reins and know that my family will be well taken care of. Now whether or not that has cured me of my control-freakness is yet to be seen, but hey, acknowledgement is the first step.

Puppy:

Unfortunately, not all of our experiences were completely pleasant. While work was great, things in our temporary home were not always easy. Wrapped up in this whole thing was little Rizzo, a seven month old chihuahua mix (possibly a Fox Terrier, a mix known as "taco terrier"). Rizzo had just been rehomed at the end of July. It is believed her previous owners adopted her from a shelter, but they gave her up because they felt she was untrainable. The family whom we were living with took Rizzo in, but after just a day or two, it was clear they were not caring for her in the way she needed. With several little children, Rizzo nipped the youngest baby (likely out of either nervousness or playfulness) and sent the dad into a terrible rage. Not only was I scared for myself, but I was most certainly scared for little Rizzo who was receiving horrible punishment. About half an hour later I went to find Rizzo. I couldn't leave her there. Derek was nice enough to allow us to take her home with us to Pullman for the weekend. While there, we decided that it would be best if Rizzo didn't go back to Kennewick. When it came time for us to go back to the tri-cities for work, Derek's parents were nice enough to take her in to puppy-sit her.

For weeks I prayed with sincere intent that we would know what to do with Rizzo. She was sweet, and (despite what her previous owners said) the smartest, most well trained dog I think I have ever seen. I wanted her for myself, but I knew that this probably wasn't the best long-term decision. Upon our return to Pullman, Derek's parents asked if they might be able to keep her. She had already formed a bond with their dogs as well as Derek's parents, and they were all quite lonely when we had taken her away for the weekend! Just yesterday the deal was sealed, and Rizzo was officially adopted by Derek's parents. A part of me is sad not to have a little doggy in the house, but I am also so glad that Rizzo is now in a forever home that can take care of her and love her as she really deserves. 

Birthday:

At the conclusion of our internship experience, we planned a fun birthday trip for Derek! He turned 25!!! WOOHOO! We had planned to spend the weekend visiting my parents in the Seattle area. Little did Derek know, I had actually bought Seahawks tickets for the pre-season game on Friday, August 14th (his birthday!). My parents had a whole Seahawks party waiting for us, and Derek as SO shocked to learn what his birthday surprise was!

On the day of the game, we took a bus to downtown Seattle and then walked to the Stadium. Even in the downpour, all the other 12s were so excited to see our hawks! We were lucky enough to be one of the few sections that was covered from the rain, AND we had a great view! Even though the Seahawks couldn't quite pull it off (20-22), we had so much fun. We came home with full tummies, sore voices, and great memories! I am really excited for the season to start!

On to our next adventure!

Finding Our Callings

Excuse the lack of posts these past couple months, the Askham family has been "enjoying" several changes that have come our way recently!

After driving a 15 year-old-plus car as our ONLY car for about 5 months,  and saving and budgeting every penny carefully, Derek and I were finally able to move up in car!

For me, a 2004 Suzuki Aerio

And for Derek, a sporty little 2001 Mercury Cougar

This has been such a huge blessing for us. For my student teaching, I have to drive about 70 miles a day, so it is awesome to have a reliable car that I feel safe in during my commute. And for Derek, he finally has some wheels that are ALMOST as cool as he is :) With our new car purchases, we had to say goodbye to an old friend, my blue Pontiac Sunfire. My Dad was kind enough to sell it on Craigslist for us after we left the area, and it went to a good home! All in all, we came in under budget and we are both really proud of ourselves for the long hours we worked to get here!



This semester has already proved to be a busy one, as both Derek and I work to tie any loose ends on our degrees. Currently I am student teaching in a small middle school about an hour away from the University. It has been a challenge in many respects, but ironically, teaching has been the EASIEST part. The most stressful aspect has really been building relationships with so many people that are going to be the gatekeepers to my career! Sometimes I feel inadequate, but I am trying to remember I am just beginning a career. I have plenty of time to improve!

Derek still has a little over a year left on his degree, but he is also working hard on securing an internship for the Summer. In so doing, he keeps pretty busy studying, working on resumes, attending school, and also being our soul breadwinner for the semester. He is just rockin' it! Typically, we wake up around 6 am, we leave for school and work, we get home between 5 or 6, we eat, Derek goes to meetings or studies and I work on lesson plans, and by the time 9:30 rolls around, we head to bed. It seems like an impossible life, but Derek and I have both felt energetic and motivated, sustained by power we know must be from God.




Adding to our fun changes has been my recent call to be second counselor in our ward's Relief Society! I was really shocked (I even asked the new RS president when I first met her if she was sure she meant ME. She said she was! haha) but now that it is starting to sink in a little, I feel great peace in knowing that "Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." The ladies I get to work with are just SO awesome. We are still working to get things running smoothly, but I have no doubt that we will be able to unify and be a great power for good in our ward and community. 


As I have reflected on all of these changes as well as my emotions, I was surprised to find that I feel more motivated, enthusiastic, and energetic than before. While there are so many wonderful things going on that I feel I can attribute this too, "finding my calling" kept coming to mind. Though I know there will be stressful days ahead, I feel that we come alive when we are doing what God has called us to do. Whether its working hard with a spouse to get in control of finances, educating ourselves, serving in our church or community capacities, or following a lifetime's worth of promptings as we start new careers, I believe God blesses us for those efforts. He says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” While often times we hear this scripture and think to "come to Him" through prayer and sacrifice, I am finding that we "come to Him" much faster on our feet serving than we do on our knees (which is good because if I get down on my knees to say a prayer I will probably fall asleep!). 

I am really excited to be able to see these blessings in my life and I am thrilled to serve others and build some character :)

In conclusion, I thought I would share a little message! Over a year ago, I had a professor tell us to write little notes to ourselves in the future. I don't actually remember too much about writing it, but I remember I wanted it to be something encouraging to read when I started student teaching. This week, I got my little letter in the mail and it made me so happy! Although I directed it to myself at the time, I feel it is something that can apply to all of us in some respect. I am posting a small excerpt below...So read, and enjoy!

        "...The best example of teaching I will ever have is Christ. His love, patience, and encouragement is the way to help others. You may be working furiously on your edTPA right now, but remember there is always more to life than paperwork. Having the example is the key! 
        There is a deeper purpose than a grade, a certification, or a job. The greatest thing I will ever do in life will be my opportunity to bring beautiful children into this world with my husband. Second to that only, is to help raise other children. With the latter, my goal goes beyond content or standards or state testing. My goal is to bring light and love into the world. Never be afraid to show love. Even if some are failing in content, through love they will know that they are not failing this life. Love, patience, and encouragement always.
         You are blessed more than you know....You can do anything. So go and TEACH!"

A Month of Firsts

Well ladies and gentleman, Derek and I have been officially married for a little over a month now. Boy, how life has changed! This month we:

Took our first road trip as Mr. and Mrs. Askham:
A friend of mine recently got back from his awesome mission. The first week of August, we decided we would take the opportunity to go back to the West-Side (of Washington) before school started to be able to visit with him as well as see my family again! Everything had been so stressful around the wedding, it was great to be able to visit home again now that all of THAT was out of the way. I sure miss my family and my little pup-pup. Secretly Okay, not-so-secretly, I want a little puppy of my own to love and cuddle in all my moments of loneliness. I had a dream that I got a hedgehog and I loved it with everything I had. Awww.

Anyways, it was a great trip. On the way, Derek and I even saw this beautiful sunset!

Celebrated Derek's first birthday as a married man:

The Birthday Breakfast I made for him!

The big 2-3! Derek woke up that morning all depressed because of how old he was. Personally, I think he is doing pretty good for 23. Has a nice apartment, a nice job, and a really cute wife ;) We had a great little party, including a nice night out with the family. I even made a cake (but the pictures are still on Derek's phone, so you will just have to trust me).

I got a new job at Taco Del Mar:
And what a H-U-G-E blessing it has been. Everyone is very nice, I have been given a lot of hours (which is bittersweet, but really nice in general), and I can't complain about the free food! Their mondo burritos (20ounces...thats OVER a pound!) make an awesome...and free...dinner for Derek and I to split. In a college town with 20k other students, I view this job as a huge miracle. God definitely answers prayers!

We began our first semester at school since being married:
Derek is really hittin' the books with his Calculus, Accounting, History, Econ, and Spanish classes. And I am just finishing up my last year at WSU with Teaching and Learning classes, and then Econ 430, History Seminar 469, and History Teaching Seminar 480.

Everyone told us that it would be much harder to go to school once we are married, but I haven't found that to be the case at all! So far, Derek and I are both doing really well. I feel like its a little easier to focus on homework when I know that Derek will always be there, instead of staying with him until midnight and writing a five page paper when I got home, and then getting two hours of sleep. Not that that ever happened. :)

We celebrated our 1-month anniversary:
This happened to fall on the first day of school. I was kinda sad, because Derek works 8-12pm everyday, and then has classes until 4pm. I go to school 9-1pm MWF, and I typically work at 4 and I don't get home until 10:30. Do you realize what that means?! I go like 14 hours without seeing him all the time. It's a little depressing.

Little did I know, while I was busy working, Derek set up a cute little indoor picnic for us. He even baked a mini cake for us! He is so sweet, I love him!

Gave our first talks in the married ward:
Okay, this was actually really funny. Our bishop asked us to speak about marriage. I introduced us, and began by saying "We had been married 5 weeks now....The third week was a little rough, but we persevered and pulled through it. Now that we are experts on marriage, the bishop asked us to come and speak to share with all of you how we have managed to learn everything about marriage and be so successful." It was a crowd favorite.

We really did have a lot of fun. My favorite part about it was that afterwards, so many people came up to us wanting to get to know us. Up until that point, Derek and I really didn't have many friends in the ward. So I was really grateful for the opportunity to share a little about ourselves and make friends in the process.

Derek started his first business:

D.A. Tech Repair is now Pullman's newest business! I am not sure if Derek was aware he was living with a wannabe marketing/graphic design specialist. So far we have made a pretty good team. Derek get's frustrated because I don't understand the tech side of it, and I get frustrated because he doesn't seem to understand the layman's terms side of business. So I guess you could say we have a pretty typical working relationship :P

Really though, Derek is so so smart, and we are already getting his name out there. I wish I wasn't so busy so I could devote more time to local marketing. Even without it, Derek has done so good. I have already had some people in the community ask me if Derek could give basic tech lessons for businesses and business owners, which he is really excited for. Especially because these people offer a bit more money than college students ;)

Speaking of money, Derek also had his first self-employed pay day! Way to go babe!

And Derek started our first fire in our toaster oven:
Boy, we were laughing so hard.

Above is a picture of our beautiful toaster oven (sans fire). Derek was toasting some sandwich bread a little too long, and smoke began pouring out of our toaster oven. We got out the bread and derek threw open the apartment door and started frantically fanning smoke out with a towel. I was trying to take the moment seriously but it was just so funny I couldn't stop laughing at it.

Luckily for us, the only thing damaged was some toast :)


Thanks for reading!

Viva Las Vegas

Our wedding day was absolutely a dream come true. I have so much I want to share, but while we are waiting on some digital copies of the pictures, I thought I could kick this blog off with Derek's and my very first adventure together: our honeymoon in Las Vegas!

Arriving at the Bellagio

Our Room Keys

I was excited to see our room, but I just had to take a quick peek of the pool area. I was not disappointed! This is BEAUTIFUL!

The indoor garden and greenhouse. I learned later that each month or so, they change the decorations. Here it is decorated for July, complete with American flags, and all sorts of summery birds flyin' around.

The whole time I was walking through this place, I just thought "are you kidding me?!" Glass ceilings, chandeliers,  beautiful windows, and intricate molding. Absolutely gorgeous.

And here is our cute room! Is it weird to have a picture of it? I don't know. But I thought it was absolutely beautiful and I would love a headboard like that in my house.

Suckahs

 By the time we got settled in and decided to go out and get some food, it was already about 9pm. Lucky for us, Vegas stays up all night! Looking for a big, delicious meal, we found ourselves at Margaritaville (by the Flamingo). Best burger I have ever had. In my life. It was a turkey guacamole thing with an onion ring on top. Just what my starving belly, (which had been the victim of a 10-pound pre-wedding weight drop) needed!

Aren't the neon lights cool?!

And you HAVE to order a margarita in margartaville...Mmm

 After dinner, we made our way back up to the Bellagio, taking in all of the fun city life. I had heard so many warnings about how awful all the pornography type stuff is (and there was some of that, don't get me wrong) but it really wasn't at all as bad as I was expecting. I probably saw like 10 cards on the ground the whole time I was there...but maybe I was just too busy looking all newlywed-eyed at my husband to notice ;)

Across the street from the Bellagio is where the Paris hotel is, along with various fast-food (Panda Express) and a Walgreens (AKA, where Derek got his Snickers fix)

The next morning, Derek and I decided to get out and about. The weather, despite disheartening weather reports, was actually PERFECT when we were there. Sun was out, few clouds, 100* outside, and wonderful A/C inside :P We had a great time swimming and on the strip, popping into shops whenever it got too hot!

It's only 10 am and we are ready for the pool! Do you see those cool plant archways? They go all the way down the paths near the pools. Super pretty!

A little R+R by one of the pools!

Who doesn't need a cool glass of water after some hot-tubbing?

After our time at the pool, it was time to get out there and enjoy the strip!

Yummy Nutella crepes at Jean Phillips inside the Bellagio

Best. Chocolate Place. Ever.
They even have the worlds largest chocolate fountain (AKA, chocolate pouring from the ceiling). My advice to Vegas visitors: Go there. The food actually is reasonably priced as far as deliciousness goes, and the chocolate situation is just the best. 

Taking a picture outside the Venetian

 We made our way down the strip (what was supposedly a 15 minute walk...uhhhh?) to a well worth it, authentic, whole-in-the-wall taco place. I read that this was one of Vegas' "best kept secrets". It certainly wasn't by the time we got there. We waited an hour or so in a hot little kitchen just to ORDER! It gave Derek plenty of time to chat with the spanish-speaking locals (who all insisted that he needs to fatten me up) and me time to rehearse our order over and over again so I could say it in Spanish. It was so much fun! Tacos El Gordo and Margaritaville. All you need to survive in Vegas.

Me pretending to eat a taco so I look dainty in the picture.

Derek actually eating a taco because he is too hungry to care about pictures.

 We ordered 6 beef tacos and one other beef taco with cactus on it. I had never had cactus before, but I certainly miss it now! Soooooo goood cooked up and plopped on top of juicy meat, tomatoes, and guacamole!

Making our way back to the Bellagio, we stopped for another picture outside another fancy fountain. We didn't quite manage to scoot our drinks all the way out of the picture, but its the thought that counts. 

Sunshine and Smiles 

By the time we got back to the hotel, our taco lunch had become more of a taco dinner. We ended up just going to bed...until about 4 am when Derek and I woke up STARVING OUR GUTS OUT. We called room service. It was PERFECTLY delicious. Biggest bowl of oatmeal ever :)

For real, even the butter is fancy.

The next day, we spent a lot of time just relaxing. All the vacationing had tired us out! We turned up the A/C, turned on the huge flat screen TV, and toasted the day with some icy coke. Caffeine included. My dad commented that it was "Newlyweds gone wild- the LDS version"hahaha true story bro. 

After our day of relaxation, we had a busy night getting a taxi to the Rio for Penn and Teller, and then visiting the Cosmopolitan (the Bellagio's next door neighbor!)

Me with Penn! He even signed my ticket!

Derek in front of the kaliedascope screens at the Cosmo

Three story chandelier! When I am rich, I want one in my house :)

Up in the lounge!

The next day was kind of a sad one...the day we had to leave Vegas! My sweetheart insisted that we order room service again (...darn, do we have to? :PP) and then we packed up to leave for the airport...with one classic pitstop...

Delish!

Hopefully I will be back someday! 

On our way home, flying over the PNW

We had the time of our lives! Vegas was so much fun, and was certainly a great way to kick off our marriage together. I have heard people say that they wish they hadn't taken a honeymoon or telling other people not to go on one and to that I say...WHAT?! My advice is to choose (or in my case, have a wise fiance that chooses...) an affordable, but fun vacation spot. We were seriously treated like royalty, got to see all sorts of new things, and enjoyed nice warm weather, all without going too far from home base. So for heaven sakes, go on a honeymoon.

A big thank you to Derek for giving me the best week of my whole life. And a big thanks to you for following us as we begin our new lives together!

xoxo