SNOWMOBILING!!!!

Today is the best day ever because it is the first time this season that we can go snowmobiling. We are sooo excited--in fact Wes keeps telling me to hurry up and get in the truck. We'll post pics later because this day is too rad to ignore. Loveage!

Tis the Season

I don't know why, but the Christmas season is so magical to me. I am twenty two years old, and I still find myself mesmerized by the sparkling tree and the pretty wrapping paper that is abundant in every home. I can't get enough Christmas music, or Will Farrel in Elf, or sweet, sugary things.

Beyond these lovely things, I am so grateful to be surrounded by family and friends as we celebrate the joys in life at this time of year. I love Wes beyond reason and tomorrow (Monday the 15th) we have officially been married for a year. It has been a WONDERFUL year and I have been so blessed. He truly is my best friend and the only one that could ever make me feel so happy about life and love. :)

Sorry for getting mushy...but Wes is the bestest cowboy husband in the world. :)

Thanksgiving

Hey we are heading down to AZ for Thanksgiving and we are VERY excited! We will be locking our blog when we get back...so email me (Nykele.Crandall@gmail.com) if you still want to get on. (I still have your info if you've already emailed me. :))

I am so thankful for this time of year and for the many amazing people and experiences in my life. I love my friends and family and I can't wait to see a lot of them (THE BREWERS!) this week. I am so grateful for Wes and his wonderful personality, service, and love. I think I got the best guy ever (besides my dad;)).

Hope you have a great turkey day!

Locking it down

Hey Everyone,

People keep freaking me out about the random things that can happen when people search for your blog, so we are locking her down. :) If you still want to have access to our blog (And we would love it if you still do!) email me!

Nykele.Crandall@gmail.com

Loveage!

Back to Work :(

Hey all!

We just got back from a wonderful week in Disneyland. I forgot how much I love that place. There is something about all of those rides, treats, and tourists that makes you forget you are 22 and sends you sprinting down the streets to get in line. 

Wes and I seriously acted like five year olds the whole time, but we had such a blast! We were with good family friends and they joined in while we rode Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, Tower of Terror, and all of the other amazing thrillers. 

Man... all in favor of going back to work? I didn't think there'd be any takers....

Conference Weekend (with pictures!)

This weekend was THE BEST because one of my favorite cousins in the whole wide world Scott Brewer and his beautiful wife Keshia came up to Utah. We got to go to conference with them and then hang out with them all weekend.

One night we were all together with some of my Pratt cousins and The Brewers and we decided to play the game Curses. This game is hilarious! You have to do certain tasks, but other people can give you curses that you have to do along with those tasks. So Keshia had to shake like she was in an earthquake when we talked, Wes had to talk like a vampire without moving his lips, and Lindsey had to do a variety of things with her hands and speech (French accent...don't ask). This is just the beginning. Let's just

say that by the end of the night, we had all dropped sixteen pounds from laughing!

Conference was such a refreshing weekend because I felt so spiritually uplifted. It was so amazing to listen to the prophet and apostles and feel the truth of the spirit that came through their messages. Elder Holland's talk on angels especially touched me because I have seen so many miracles in my life, many through the service of family and friends around me. So thanks to all of my angels!! Loveage....

Field Trip

Hey All! Happy Fall to those in the wonderful state of Utah (and for the rest of you, I'm sure it's still nice and warm wherever you are)! I was able to take one of my classes to a really cool art exhibit today and I wanted to share the experience with you.

This class is for struggling readers, so they are the ones that hate school and are struggling with everything going on. We are researching things asking the question: "What makes things better?" They get to pick a topic and then research it using that question. I have some kids looking at awesome, super-fast cars, and some looking at cell phones--so it's pretty neat. (I know...that's a nerdy teacher thing to say!)

An exhibit came to the art museum with all of Di Vinci's sweet inventions. Did you know he invented scuba diving, helicopters, tanks, and dangerous war weapons HUNDREDS of years before the technology was available to make his designs? TALK ABOUT BRILLIANT!

Anyway...it was really interesting for these kids, because everything was hands-on! They got to try the inventions and see how they worked, and they got to build some of the inventions by looking at Di Vinci's patterns too! I was so touched as these kids were actually working together and getting excited about learning. I know...that's nerdy too, but I almost feel like this proud mother watching her children do something successful. :) Anyway...here are some pics...

Cross Country

Ok...so you know how I played soccer in high school? Well, it required A LOT of running. So when I started teaching jr. high, I kept thinking: "I want to coach track and field and cross country because I am a total runner." I run for fun, right? 

Wrong. This head coach I am coaching with is a bit of a weirdy and he is pretty intense. Let's just say I am dying under his current regiment. But, he is an amazing coach--our team is in first place in the district for the third year in a row. Today we had a track meet, and our girls swept the meet--getting a perfect score (15 points--don't ask me how that is perfect), and our boys won getting 28 points. So... despite the fact that I am spending a lot of time wondering what I am doing, it must be paying off!! MY TEAM WINS!!! :)

 

Chase got his call....

Hey Y'all,

Chase (Wes's Brother) is going to Indiana this November! We are all so excited that he is going on his mission so soon--because his friends have had to wait for six months or so to go. Crazy long! For now, we are loving the time we get to spend with him. Wes is especially lucky because he and Chase work together all day long, and I know they have had some pretty cool talks about the mission.

We love you Chase! 

Update

Hey all! Nothing too new is going on these days. Wes is working hard getting the hay in before the cold weather comes our way (it might be sooner, rather than later),and he is already planning his snowmobile trips for the winter. I am busy at school as always, and I am currently learning how to design and update websites (my school's), using Dreamweaver. This technology thing is a pain sometimes! But it is really fun.

We are anxiously waiting Chase's mission call (Wes's brother), and hoping that it comes soon because he has been waiting for nearly four weeks now. Other than that, we are just chugging along--we love you all!

Counting My Many Blessings

This last weekend we went up to Wyoming with the rest of Wes's family to work the calves before the winter gets too cold. I haven't been feeling too well lately (bronchitis), and so the Crandalls were stuck taking care of me as we "relaxed" at the house in Wyoming. As I became more and more sick, Wes was by my side every second babying me. I mean it--he even washed some of my throw-up off of the truck (sorry again, about the truck.). :) I was reminded of what a beautiful blessing it is to have a husband who is so self-less and loving. He is always there to take care of me--and he often puts his own needs aside to help me. I am so grateful for Wes and the good man that he is. He and his dad and his brother were able to give me a blessing as well, and I was touched by the power in the priesthood when we are living as we should be. Wes is such a good, righteous, and amazing man and I am so blessed to have him in my life (and FOREVER!!).

I am also deeply blessed to be in a classroom everyday with 8th grade crazies! :) I know that they keep me honest and help me re-evaluate what really is important as they scream and laugh their way through class. I am really blessed to be able to be with the youth who have such energy and excitement--and who are willing to use it for good (I just have to channel it a little bit). :)

Anyway-- I hope you will count your many blessings! There are always more than we realize! Love you all!

Boating Trip!

Last weekend we were able to go boating with some of our good friends the Petersons!

We went tubing and were able to relax all day. Wes and I love boating and nothing can be better than being with friends at the same time. Mauri, Nash, and Adam were all there too! We LOVE you guys!!

Jack Johnson

This last Monday for family night, we went to a Jack Johnson concert. We were able to go with our friend Andrew and his lady-friend Jenna (Yes--all you Arizonians, she's a Hatch and grew up in Snowflake with Erin, Scott, and Jake!). It was quite an exciting evening, topped off by a neighbor spilling his beer on our blanket, we four being the only ones NOT smoking mary j's, and Wes wishing he could knock out a drunk person as a multitude of them wobbled by. We had a really fun time listening to Jack's amazing tunes.

Wes's Big Catch

For those of you who don't know my dad, let me tell you that he is an avid fly-fisherman with the skills to prove it. So when Wes graduated from college--my dad saw the perfect opportunity to bring Wes to the dark side. Wes got a new fly rod, all of the flies he could ever want, and a lot of gear to go along with it. He practiced up in Wyoming this summer, but he didn't catch anything. Last week he went up to the ranch again and this time he caught his first real beauty. I think the joy he felt was indescribable. It IS a pretty good looking fish. Wahoo! Any way, he's hooked....

Me and my Cowboy (YEEHA!)

For the 24th of July, Spanish Fark (Fork for non-hicks) has a huge rodeo. I've always wanted to be a rodeo queen, so we decided to go with some friends. It was all fun and games until I found out that rodeo queens cannot be married and they have to know how to ride a horse and hold a humongous flag AT THE SAME TIME. There goes my lifelong dream.

Lake Powell and San Diego

Wes's rad cousin Keith just got married last Saturday, so we decided to head down to San Diego to join in the festivities. But, first we had to make a three day stop at Lake Powell to help us get in the right spirit of things. :) We LOVE Lake Powell and spent every second we could wake-boarding, tubing (ouch on the knees!), and we even tried surfing! :) San Diego was beautiful--the weather was perfect and we loved being with Keith and Tricia for their big day. The temple is breath-taking and so is the surrounding area. Hey--we even got to go and see Wicked on the way out of town in L.A. It was a great trip.

Family BBQ with the Pratts

A few weeks ago the Pratts had a mini-family reunion (very mini) and we went up the canyon for a BBQ. We played baseball and Gramma was our catcher! Then Wes and my dad decided to try out their new fly rods while the rest of us cooked s'mores. Yeah...it was a blast. :)

Camping!

We were able to go camping last night with some of our best friends! We love Hayley and Skyler Stephens, and we enjoyed just sitting around doing nothing. Everything was going great until I woke up sick and accidentally threw up on the truck tire. I don't think Wes appreciated that very much. ;)