What?! I'm...25?!!

Yes everyone it's official I am 25! Scary!!  Ok so I've been 25 for a few weeks now but I'm still having a hard time with it.  You know the early 20's still sound young, but 26, 27...30 YIKES!!!  It seems like these last few years have gone by in a flash, way to fast. 
Dear Life,
Please slow down!! Or even better you could just pause here for a while.
Love,
Apryl
Seriously though, I am freaked about being 25 but I had an amazing birthday!
I have the sweetest most thoughtful husband in the world!  On my birthday he came to my class and brought me in daisies (my favorite!) and diet pepsi (also a favorite).  Along with that he brought me in balloons, to give to the boys in my class and 2 dozen roses, a rose for each girl in my class.   A little later a parent came in and brought cupcakes for my class and a mini cake for me and a gift card. How sweet is that? No, that's not the end, then my sister showed up and brought me roses. 
Pretty awesome birthday huh?  That's not the end.  It's a tradition to go out to dinner with our group of friends for my birthday and I knew we were going to do that the next night.  Brian said we were going to go to Daltons for dinner on my birthday so that's what I was planning on.  Well he changed his mind and decided he'd cook me dinner, so we went to Macy's to get the things we need for dinner. 
When I walked in from Macy's I turned on the lights in my house and heard SURPRISE!!! I screamed. It was all of my family and friends there and my whole dining/living room area was decorated!!  Brian had arranged all of it!!  I'm pretty sure the decorating was Dayana's deal and Zac made a cake, all of it was pink!  We ended up going to Texas Roadhouse Grill for dinner where I had to sit on the dreaded saddle (that's why Brian took me there).  What a great way to celebrate my 25th birthday!!  I have great friends and family!!!

Las Vegas

This past weekend  Brian and I went to Vegas with Zac and Dayana for a little vacation.  It was actually to celebrate mine and Zac's birthdays.  We had a blast!!!  We went to a show every night.  The first night we went to American Superstars where I got a hug and a T-shirt from Tim McGraw.  The T-shirt was even full of his chest sweat, I know amazing right?  Is it as amazing if I tell you it was a Tim McGraw impersonator that looked and sounded just like him?  Well it was amazing!  We went to a comedy show and a hypnosis show.  The hypnosis was hilarious.  Thanks to Zac we had an amazing condo. It was so much fun!!  Every morning it was sunny and it was like 70 degrees. 
Dear Las Vegas, 
I am moving in!
Love, Apryl
Seriously I told Brian to highly consider the med school in Las Vegas.
I must give a shout out to my sister for babysitting not only Bentley but the gerbils also.  Thank you!!  I owe you big time!!
Some pics...

Something to Think About

Ok I've decided my life is really lame!! I haven't done much on this list, but there is a ton I would like to do.  Some I am fine if I never try. I would be interested in seeing how many from this list of 99 that each of you who read my blog have done. The challenge is on. Just copy and paste my list, then highlight and bold the ones you have done. Then comment so I know who to check out.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Too hard in my profession)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (In the process of training for one)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (At least a few phrases)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (Very memorable moment)

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (this is honestly one of my biggest dreams and also running on the beach.  I just want to live by the beach)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (caricature count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (next cruise this is what I'm doing)
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (no thanks)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee 

Your Turn!

We've Adopted

We added to our family this past Friday.  Yes, we adopted 2 new gerbils.  Brian decided it was time Bentley had a pet.  Brian wanted to get gerbils, Bentley wanted a polar bear.  Since the polar bear wouldn't have survived in our 72 degree house and the lack of fish, we decided the gerbil might be the better choice of the 2.  We went and picked out 2 gerbils.  Bentley named them...drum roll...Bentley and Brian.  Such superior names.  I'm not quite sure where he came up with such outstanding names, he is very original.  One of the gerbils has a white stripe of fur down his head, Bentley name that one Bentley because it's like his fauxhawk.  Brian is the one with lots of brown, like human Brian's coat he had on at the time. 
I was very nervous to get a rodent that actually lives in the house, after 2 nights of nightmares, I've learned to live with it so far.  Bentley thinks they're great!

Christmas

Wow! It's amazing how fast time flies this time of year.  I haven't posted in 2 months!!

We had a great Christmas!!!  All December, until about a week before Christmas, when someone asked Bentley what he wanted he'd hang his head and say " A lump of coal."  He said it so sadly, but it was so funny.  Well, we went to see Santa at the Provo mall and that's when he realized he probably wasn't getting a lump of coal this year.  Santa was so cute with Bentley.  Bentley told Santa he wanted a PS3 for Christmas and Santa of course said "We'll see what we can do about it."  Brian said to Santa "He's got to stop sucking his thumb though"  Santa played right along and told Bentley "When you were 2 and 3 it was okay to suck your thumb, but now that you're 4 you can't suck your thumb anymore."  When he was saying this he touch Bentley's thumb, I told him he put magic on it to help him stop.  It's a MIRACLE, it actually WORKED!!! Bentley hasn't sucked his thumb since we went to see Santa.  How amazing is that?

On Christmas morning, since Bentley kept saying that he was getting a lump of coal for Christmas, Santa brought him candy coal.  That was the first thing Bentley saw was the bag the said COAL on it.  He didn't even notice the living room was full of presents.  He got this real worried look on his face and said "But I was good."  Then we looked in the bag and saw it was candy coal, which meant he was good, but he had to remember to always do what he's told.  It was great.

Anyways, we had a great Christmas, spending time with family and enjoying time off work and school.

How to Host A Murder

It's official, this year was by far the winner of the best costume award.  A shout out to all of my dear friends who came,  you looked amazing!  I must confess we forgot to open the solution envelope.  I can hear you ask "the what?"  That's right the solution envelope.  It actually tied up all of the loose end and explained everything. Imagine that. Maybe next year we'll remember that.  You heard right, there will be a next year, and with all of those amazing costumes I have no choice but to invite you all again.   Well I just had to post these pictures of all the amazing costumes.  I can't wait until next year!

I think Brian may have enjoyed the pipe a little to much. Doesn't he sport gray well?

Fall and Such

I can't believe it's already nearing the end of October.  I'm still in summer mode besides the fact that it's get quite cold outside and it's dark earlier and I wake up in the dark.  Well, I've made it an annual kick of to Fall to go run the Schutzenfest race in Midway. This  race is "special" to me because it was the first race I ever ran.  My goal this year was to beat my time from last year.  Well, I beat my time by 6 minutes and I got 1st place in my age group.  I was excited and a little disappointed because I didn't race as fast as I normally run.  However, I forgot how hard this race is.  The first mile is completely up hill.  It was absolutely beautiful and totally worth it. After the race we headed up to Park City to spend the day shopping, a great way to celebrate the win.

Last Sunday Brian, Bentley, and I headed up to Provo Canyon for a walk, it was gorgeous! The leaves were all changing color and the trail was covered in colored leaves.  It was so nice because there weren't very many people there.  We found a little trail and hiked up it a found an amazing place to take pictures.  Me being me though, I forgot my camera so we only had my phone.  Even though I don't like that it's getting cold outside I do love the Fall for the leaves.