LIFE IS SWEET: BYU-Idaho

I got to spend this past weekend with my sister Corrie up at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg... Brooks came along as my chaperone ;) and we had such a wonderful time!!

SATURDAY'S HAPPENINGS:

--> a sunny picnic with Jimmy John's subs at Porter Park

--> playing with Little B on the playground and swings

--> going to Karrie Ann's (a darling little icecream shop on wheels) for the most amazing cup of Italian-ice and custard

--> enjoying that cool, sweet treat on a shaded piece of grass

--> laughing, talking, and more laughing

--> shopping...for clothing and the classic big grocery shopping trip at the bigginning of the semester

--> dinner at Craigo's...errr, Pizza Pie Cafe

--> staying up late and getting a head/back rub from my sweet sister 'til I fell asleep on her couch :)

SUNDAY'S HAPPENINGS:

--> Brooks and I attempted to go to church...but ended up in the hallways during Sacrament meeting ;)

--> enjoying a fantastic nap later that afternoon...all three of us spooning on Corrie's twin bed :)

--> making dinner with Corrie for her apartment and eating it outside...mmmm, lasagna!

--> baking cookies and enjoying them with icecream with my old roommate Alyssa and her family! (a bunch of my photos got deleted off my phone :( so our fun time of eating, laughing, and dancing with our little boys isn't pictured)

SATURDAY'S HAPPENINGS:

--> Corrie went off to early classes...so Brooks and I "slept in" and then he enjoyed a bath

--> meeting Corrie on campus to enjoy a nostalgic breakfast of smoothies and a cinnamon raisin demi-loaf (a tiny loaf of bread) and honey butter (I worked at the old smoothie shop and met Adam there! And demi-loaves were how I made it through hours and hours in the library freshman and sophmore year)

--> walked around that beautiful campus (loved every minute) to get some cheesy photos in front of my freshman dorms and a BYUI sign :)

It was so fun talking with Corrie about this semester...she's going to be working part-time and will have a large load of classes, all of her roommates were unknown but they seem like such sweethearts upon meeting them...oh college is just full of crazy-hard work and crazy-fun times! We also talked about how life doesn't always turn out how we plan or hope...but it will always happen how it's supposed to. We've got to roll with the punches, and make the best with the consequences that come from our decisions...goodness sometimes I feel like I learn more from my younger sister than she learns from me. I love her to death.

Thank you so much Corrie for just the weekend I needed!!

Little B and I miss you already...

And Adam, Brooks, and I can't wait for you to come down for General Conference next month!

**************************************************************

Spiritual Health:

Watched a video of Sunday's CES Devotional - "Truth and Tolerance" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"I begin with three absolute truths. I express them as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. But I believe that most of these ideas are shared by believers generally. First, all persons are brothers and sister, under God, taught within their various religions to love and do good to one another. ... Second, this 'living with differences' is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us we must do. ... Third, we do not abandon the truth and our covenants."

...WAY BACK!!! ;) My last blog post was me catching up on our adventures in November...and this one is going to top that. This post will be catching up on December, January, February, & March. Wowza!! But I really want to get caught up...so here's a summary (most recent first...) of what Adam and I have been up to...and we've enjoyed every minute of it together!

MARCH

Just last weekend was General Conference...it was so good to listen to the voices of God's servants with my sweetheart :) It was so uplifting...so comforting. The way world is going...well, it's scary. But I know that if Adam and I follow the Prophet of the Lord, together, everything will work out for our good.

During the Priesthood Session (just for men, so Adam was MIA) I went to dinner with my sister & her adorable family who was visiting from Spokane. We ate at

TEXAS Roadhouse...note: their rolls are amazing!

* My sister, Natalie, and her hubby, Duane, with his parent and their

cute kids at Texas Roadhouse *

* Our niece, Amanda, and I *

...then we went back their hotel to change into our swimsuits for a dip in the pool :)

* Our little nephew, Aaron, is the cutest thing alive!

(he's wearing my shoes by the way, heehee) *

Our little Pool Party was a blast!! ;D The kids were all SO excited to play with their new Uncle Adam! (because they live in Washington we don't see them very often...so we SOAK up every minute with them!)

* Jason, our nephew...cute as a button! It's crazy how young kids

are when they start loving technology ;) *

A couple weeks before that, was the church's General Young Women Meeting. Even

though I have been out of Young Women's for a few years now, my sweet mother-in-law

invited me to go with her and some of the Smoot ladies (other side of Adam's family).

* We started out with a delightful luncheon put on by Grandma at the

Joseph Smith Building in Salt Lake...it was delish!

And so sweet to talk to the girls:) *

INTRODUCING: Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy Baker!!

A good friend of Adam's, a great guy I've gotten to know through work, got married last month! His wife is a great girl...awesome actually!! Jeremy & Camary had a beautiful wedding day...we were so glad we could be a part of their special day :)

* Camary & Jeremy...their first dance *

* Their AmaZiNG cake! Camary had the Bird of Paradise for her flowers...

they were gorgeous & very unique :) *

Sorry to all you basketball folk, but when the Kjars get excited about "March Madness" we

don't mean the "college basketball" :O) Actually, there is a different kind of March

Madness in the Kjar family...it's WRESTLING! For the past 9 years Adam & the

men in his family have gone to St. Louis for the NCAA Wrestling Championships.

They eat, drink, sleep wrestling...their own boy-heaven. ;) Mama Kjar

went this time...to keep the boys in line, haha...is she a trooper or what?!

They had a great time!! I'm so glad Adam was able to go :) Here are some

pictures of Adam's St. Louis trip...

* Here's Adam a

nd his family, with Jeremy (the friend who I

mentioned just g

ot married), at dinner in St. Louis...

...they love t

heir food! *

* Adam at the championships! *

* This picture shows just a glimpse of the many seats that fill up with

TONS of crazy wrestling

fans...gotta love it! *

And, while the boys are away...the girls will PLAY! So while Adam was away, I went

up to Rexburg to be with my sister (Corrie), my sister-in-law

(Sharla), and my old roommates (Kersie & Shauna). I was expecting a weekend full of fun & lots of girl stuff...but it

exceeded my expectations!! It was a bLaST! Here are just a FEW of the pics capturing the

MANY fun memories :)

* Corrie & I out to eat at

Bajios... !delicioso! *

* we're a little goofy...okay maybe more than a little. haha! *

* we went swinging...the "spider" is the way go ;) *

* SHAUNA'S 50's BRIDAL SHOWER...such a cute theme! (The bachelorette

is the gorgeous one in the middle in the black dress) *

* all of the "hott-smokin' wives" blowin' kisses *

* Here's Shauna opening up her FUN presents ;) heehee *

* Kersie, me, & Shauna...my girls :) We were roommates last year (Shauna

was my room-roomate both

years at BYUI...love her like

a sister, both of them actually) *

* Out to a yummy Thai dinner with Corrie, Sharla (sister-in-law),

and Sharla's roommates! *

* Corrie, Stefi, & Katie...just before their AMAZING performance! These 2 cute girls

are Corrie's roommates, and Stefi is from India. There was a multi-cultural performance put on at BYUI...so Stefi taught

Corrie & Katie a beautiful & fun dance...and after many hours of practicing...they put on quite the show! I was so proud

of them!! *

* I was her biggest fan!...hope i didn't embarrass her with all the

yelling and shouting,

"Go CORRIE!! I love you Corrie!" ;) *

* Later that night was Guitars Unplugged

(a big show with lots of bands made of students @ BYUI)

The show and the dance after was such a blast!

...what a great time with all the girls! *

* Even later that night, we decided to do some facial masks :)

I realize this looks more like football face-paint, but

it's 2 kinds of masks (mint julep & chocolate mud...

the combined smell was just like a Thin Mint cookie! haha) *

Another bridal shower I went to was for Natalie Archibald...soon

to be Mrs. Smoot ;) She's marrying my AWESOME cousin-in-law, Brady Smoot. I

was lucky enough to get to know Brady pretty well while dating Adam, they were

roommates :) He is one of the sweetest, funniest guys...she is a lucky girl :) Adam & I are so

happy for them!!!Just about a month 'til their big day!

* Natalie is so beautiful she can even pull off that

gift wrap bow in her hair! I love silly traditions ;) *

FEBRUARY

Such a fun month! First of all, it was ADAM'S GOLDEN BIRTHDAY!!!!! (23 on the 23rd) For his birthday we went to the Cheesecake Factory (cheesecake is his favorite:) and then off to the 3D-iMAX movie "Under the Sea"...I got tickets for it because I wanted to get us pumped up for our scuba lessons we were planning on taking! (we just finished the lessons last week actually:) The movie was AWESOME!! We highly recommend it :)

* Adam with his Tiramisu cheesecake & his "23" candlesI brought for him to blow out :) *

* We took this picture just before the 3-D show started...the glasses were so much fun! *

* A kiss for birthday boy! *

Adam's main b-day present was actually given to him a few days after his birthday...it was a SUSHI CLASS!!! Boys are kind of hard to shop for...but I'm pretty sure I picked a winner :) We had a blast learning how to make sushi!...and eating ALL we wanted :) We're excited to take an advanced class in the near future :)

f* If you like sushi you'll LOVE this class!! This picture is of Adam & I

with our instructor/sushi chef Jonas Otsuji...he was a great teacher!

Jonas has a company called Sexy Sushi --> check it out on www.sushisexy.com *

Valentine's Day was just before Adam's birthday...i used to really like this holiday :) But I tell ya, it's now one of my favorites :) A day devoted to love...and to spend it with my sweetheart, I couldn't have asked for more <3

* We had a delicious dinner at Market Street Grill...one of our favorite restaurants in Salt Lake *

* The next day we got together with my side of the family for my

Grandpa's 90th birthday! He has quite the sweet tooth ;) so we brought

him some cookie-flowers my Mom taught me to make growing up...

So we took a picture with our sweet tradition;) *

JANUARY

January is always a great month :) Lots of New Years resolutions...lots of snow...lots of cuddling while watching movies in our cozy bed (we don't have a TV, so we set Adam's laptop on our laps & watch DVDs in bed:)...and it's my birthday! woohoo! It started out by waking up to a text from my boss (which just happens to be my brother-in-law, & Adam's co-worker as well) that says "you & adam can have the day off...happy birthday!" IT WAS THE BEST B-DAY PRESENT EVER!...which Adam then topped as the day went on ;) We took full advantage of having a special day with just the 2 of us:) We had a yummy breakfast, went to the gym, showered & got ready for the day, went to lunch at Paradise Bakery, Adam went with me to get my nails done, went shopping for a new digital camera, got massages (60 minutes of heaven), went out to dinner, and came home to watch a movie...I'm one lucky girl! I know I probably won't have another birthday-day all to just me & my sweetheart for a while, so I want to record it to look back on & smile :)

* I turned the big twenty-one! so of course we had to get margaritas!...virgin ;)*

* Adam giving me a sweet birthday smooch *

Sharla (sister-in-law) received her mission call in January!!! We were all so excited for her...lots of friends & family gathered in the Kjar home to watch her open & read that she would be

serving in the...........ARGENTINA, BAHIA BLANCA MISSION!!!

She reports on April 26th, right around the corner. We'll miss her like crazy,

but we know she'll be where she needs to be...in Argentina, serving the Lord.

* Adam, Shar (soon to be Hermana Kjar!), & me *

Super Bowl Sunday...my first ever! I grew up in a home that enjoys sports, but didn't really watch them on TV (we're more the out-door, hiking sort;) So we never watched the Super Bowl. But we were invited to Adam's cousin's home for an awesome super bowl party!! Hailey & Eric Kandell were the hosts, & boy do they know how to put on a party! There was awesome food, a theatre room to watch the game, and lots of great people :) Thanks for a great time Hailey & Eric!

* Here's just one of the many goodies at the party...

Aren't these cupcakes awesome?! *

Adam & I have been serving in our ward (church group) with the Scouts :) I'm a Cub Scout leader over the Wolves (ages 8-9) & Adam works with the Weblos Scouts (ages 11-12). We've had a great time getting to know our boys...learning lots, and loving it! Here's a fun picture of one the activities I did with my boys...icecream sundaes, with no bowls!!! We ate straight of the table :) (I just used a cheap plastic table cloth & threw it in the trash when we were done:)

The boys had a blast!

Not just another love story...

ANNOUNCING: Mr. & Mrs. Ben Kjar!!!

At the beginning of the month my awesome brother-in-law (Ben) and his sweetheart (LaCol) were married and sealed for time & all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple. We are SO SO SO happy for them both! They are perfect for eachother! And we're so glad LaCol is part of the family :) They did their wedding celebration like ours :)...having the reception the night before the sealing, then have the sealing the next afternoon, followed by a beautiful dinner. (It's so nice to dance the night away at the reception!...and then go home & and be able to get lots of sleep before the really important day with the sealing. Different from the norm, but it works :) Here are some pictures of there special 2 days ;)

*Adam & our sweet niece Emma dancing like there was no tomorrow! *

* oh the cake-shove ;) *

* He is SO happy! *

* Adam & Shar sang a sweet song for Ben & LaCol at their wedding dinner *

DECEMBER

December ended with a bang!!! New Years Eve is always a blast with the Thompsons! (family on my side) We have special black-bean soup (a southern tradition), lots of goodies, a slide-show of old family pictures, games (this year we played an awesome version of Charades!), and after midnight strikes we have a dance party! haha They're a riot!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! (a little late, i know;)

* Adam & I drinking our little cups of sparkling cider after a new year's toast :) *

* "Jump on it! Jump on it!" haha Dancing the night away... *

My family from Vancouver was able to come to Utah for the holidays! It was SO good to be with them!!! I love it here in Utah :) ...but I miss my family like crazy sometimes! We're all pretty spread out, so we make the most of every get-together =)

Here are a few pictures of our adventures!

* Some of our nieces and nephews, my sisters, my dad, and my brother...

They had a blast on their sled-train!! wootWooT! *

* Snow bunnies :) Celeste, Mom, Corrie, & me *

* Ali (our cute niece who lives in St. George) & I made some yummy

french bread pizza for everyone after sledding! *

* It was by brother Nate's 28th birthday! he's excited to blow out those candles!! ;) *

This was our first Christmas married...and was it a great one! We soaked up the Christmas music (Josh Groban's "Noel", Kurt Bestor, & "The Forgotten Carols" are our favorites)...had lots of hot cocoa...decorated our first Christmas tree (which was so sweetly given to us by our Grandma Kjar:)...and enjoyed spending time with our families.

* On Christmas Eve Adam and I went with his family to go

caroling to some family and to a few elderly-care homes.

...a great tradition :) like our hats? *

* A couple weeks before Christmas, the Smoots (Adam's mom's side of the family)

put on the Navitiy Play, we were 2 of the shepherds:) *

* Here's another picture of the Nativity, with some of our cousins

as Mary, Joseph the Wisemen, and [not so baby] Jesus

who was played my our adorable nephew Ashton:) *

* We went to dinner at The Roof before a special surpise I planned

as one of Adam's early Christmas presents... *

* This was after the surpise...6th row seats at the Kurt Bestor Christmas Concert!

I love that Adam appreciates beautiful music!!! It was quite the performance!

* Here's our Christmas tree :) Very humbly decorated, just with lights,

red berries, & popcorn strings...so fun to see what you

can do with just a little $$ *

**WHEW** Welp, there you have it...a summary of the past 4 months of Adam & Haley Kjar's life :) Life has brought some surpises...some bumps along the way...but together we've smoothed them out and smiled the whole way :) We really are blessed to have such great family and friends to make these amazing memories with.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Dropping my sisters off at college...

Monday, September 12, 2011

can't get enough sister time :)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

We're going back...

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