3 YEARS

Today marks the 3 year anniversary of the day we arrived in Austin, Texas after driving for 22 hours from our home in Orem, Utah. I can't believe it's been that long, honestly. A lot of things have happened since we moved here: long hours of facials, boat breakdowns, car breakdowns, puppy poop, hot weather, droughts, fire ants, Living Social deals, San Antonio temple visits, ward chorister, Primary chorister, Webelos, eyelashes, hail storms, hundreds of books, Wii game playing, Young Women activities, fishing tournaments... but all of those experiences have shaped us both into who we are today and where we are in our lives and our marriage. I am extremely happy doing my eyelashes at the Lash Lounge, and Ander is very happy working at Wells Fargo and continuing his education. I feel like things are FINALLY looking up for us, and I'm feeling very stable. Usually this is when a car breaks down (or boat... which I guess did just happen) or one of us gets gravely ill, but so far things are still good. The Lord definitely brought us here for a reason, and I have to say that moving to Austin was one of the best decisions I think we've ever made together.

Here's to another year. Let's do this.

Yummy mummies

Thanks to Pinterest, I decided to make all of my clients Mummy pops for Halloween this month. Check them out! Aren't they cute?

I made these the same way I made my last Oreo pops, but this time right after I dipped them in the white chocolate I put the candy eyes on to dry. Then I just drizzled them with white chocolate for the wrappings. I took care so slighty drizzle over the eyes to give them a "wrapped" look.

Goodness, Halloween is so much fun!

Digging into my camera along with September

I just had some little picture nougats on my camera and thought I'd put them in this post. They aren't anything special, but it's a small look at September with the Meines.

September was a pretty good month for us... other than the fact that it was still over 100 degrees every day. It JUST started to cool down... to the the 90's. Ander got a job at Wells Fargo as a part-time bank teller. I got promoted to Lash Trainer at the Lash Lounge. I know that sounds funny, but I've officially been named "The Lash Girl". Apparently I know my stuff about lashes. And I've also become INCREDIBLY busy just in the last week. All of a sudden my weeks are booked solid, and quite a few of my clients have booked with me through the new year. "I can't just call in if I need a fill anymore, you're too busy. I gotta have it on the calendar to get in with you!" they say to me. This is when I feel awkward because I feel badly for being busy and not being flexible, but all of my clients say it's a good thing. Better to be busy, busy, busy, than not busy at all.

Ander and I also attended a Round Rock Express baseball game together. See all of those empty seats behind us? Yeah... that night was the first UT game of the season. Hardly anyone was there. And we sat next to some really obnoxious kids... one of whom got his hand whacked by a fly ball.

This is how May-May shows she wants either food or water. She usually flips the bowl over and paws at it for a while until we notice. Apparently we were extremely preoccupied with other things since she was able to move her water dish all the way over there from where it should be.

A client of mine gave me free tickets and a parking pass to the UT vs. BYU game! My friend Shellee and I went, since Ander was out of town fishing. We had a blast! Even though neither of us know anything about football. We just cheered when UT cheered and booed when they booed, and pretended to know the words to the UT college song. It was so much fun! And I've never seen so much Burnt Orange in my entire life.

Please explain to me how all of these shoes ended up on the floor AROUND the shoe basket, but not in the basket?!

Need I say anything about his picture? I find it hilarious.

While walking May-May the other day I came across some sidewalk chalk pictures and words. I just had to get a picture of this little girl's declaration: "My name is Mia and I (heart) pupies." I'm not sure what a pupie is, and at first I thought maybe she was referring to small insect larvae, but as I walked further I found a lot of drawings of what looked like dogs. Puppies. Mia loves puppies. But she also loves pupies.

This is what I found upon getting into Ander's truck after his first week of training. I knew he'd been grabbing dollar menu sandwiches and KFC nuggets for lunch, but I had no idea he was stockpiling the bags and his empty water bottles in the passenger side of his car. I asked him if he planned on filling the entire cab and he said no. I don't believe him.

I gave myself a Halloween/Fall pedicure during Conference this last weekend. I have to say, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. But Ander told me my toes were too spread out. He said I have little hobbit feet minus the hair.

My birthday party bad luck hasn't run out

This post is way past due. WAY past due. I have been so incredibly busy, I haven't had the opportunity to post any of my photos from my completely normal and not interesting whatsoever life. But I was very proud of myself at the beginning of September: I planned my first ever surprise party and it totally worked!!! We all surprised our friend Erica for her birthday on September 1st.

 Okay. Right to left we have: Michelle, Jeff, Wendy, Stephanie, Kirsten, Ander, Nephi, Debbie, little Josh, Judy, and Shellee. Someone's in the back back there, but I can't tell who...

 It's really hard to take instant photos with a digital camera. That's what snapshot cameras are for. I tried to get a picture of Erica's face when we jumped up and said surprise, but it just turned out blurry. Oh, and all the guys did the streamers... I'm so proud.

 Ander, Aliisha, and Shellee.

 Trevor and the his little boy Brayden (who was terrified by our SURPRISE, mind you.)

 Michelle made the birthday cake. It's all ice cream. Cookies and Cream with chocolate fudge and all sorts of yummies.

 Stephanie, Debbie, and Wendy. Wendy reminds me a lot of me. She's awesome. I hope I'm like that as I get older.

 This is one of the only two pictures I'm in.

Aaaaaaaaand this is the second. I'm actually watching Michelle, not looking at the camera.

 And that's my arm on the right. Three pictures... I guess.

 Birthday girl Erica and her husband Steve

 Make a wish!!!!

 Antony and Jeff.

 Boys. Ander, Nephi, and Steve. And once again, Ander is making some awkward face. He always does that...

 Jeff and Wendy. I teach their daughter Naomi in Young Women's and she is a hoot.

The last visitors of the night were our Bishop and his wife, Elizabeth. They only stopped by for a minute.

And of course we have Ander completely photobombing what would have been a nice picture. Can you spot him?

It was a big success, and I was very proud. I told Ander I needed a surprise party next year and he said no. But then again, I guess it wouldn't be a surprise if I knew about it, would it?