So...it's been a while. We're no good at this blogging thing (and I've been failing miserably at my weekly vlogs as well, so there's that, too), but we're going to keep doing our best to remember. And by remember I mean remember to be exciting so we have things to blog about.
Here's our life update:
Jill has been student teaching. She rocks at it.
Ben has been working and pretending to be busy with ridiculously non-busy things. He rocks at it.
So there you have it. Our life in review. I hope you enjoyed it.
Stay tuned for more fascinating updates!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Merry Christmas and Happy Hogmanay!
Well folks, Christmas has come and gone, but one thing remains: a large stomach. And no, I'm not referring to Jill's pregnancy (although I'm sure I will refer to it like that more often in the future). I had far too many goodies that, for some reason, have yet to leave me alone. Alas, such is life.
But enough about Christmas rolls (too soon?). Let's get on with what we did for our first Christmas as an old married couple!
First, last Tuesday, I received my printed and bound copy of my finished thesis. That means I'm finally done! I. Am. A. MASTER! It was a long time coming, but now my thecal matter is officially available to the researching world. Who knows, maybe somebody will read it one day.
On December 24th Jill and I took the front runner up to Salt Lake with James and Megan. We brought some games to play as we rode, which was great because a) we didn't have to drive and b) we got to play games.
We had a delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory (which looked nothing at all like a factory, might I add). Then, we took a stroll through Temple Square, admiring all the lights and nativities they had set up.
The next day was, of course, Christmas.
I also need to point out the weather we had been having. Warm weather and no snow. Except when we woke up on Christmas morning IT HAD SNOWED! It's a Christmas miracle!
Anyway, on Christmas morning we got up and opened up our stockings. Then we made breakfast.
Then it was time for PRESENTS!
But enough about Christmas rolls (too soon?). Let's get on with what we did for our first Christmas as an old married couple!
First, last Tuesday, I received my printed and bound copy of my finished thesis. That means I'm finally done! I. Am. A. MASTER! It was a long time coming, but now my thecal matter is officially available to the researching world. Who knows, maybe somebody will read it one day.
On December 24th Jill and I took the front runner up to Salt Lake with James and Megan. We brought some games to play as we rode, which was great because a) we didn't have to drive and b) we got to play games.
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| Monopoly Deal. I pwned them n00bs. |
We had a delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory (which looked nothing at all like a factory, might I add). Then, we took a stroll through Temple Square, admiring all the lights and nativities they had set up.
The next day was, of course, Christmas.
I also need to point out the weather we had been having. Warm weather and no snow. Except when we woke up on Christmas morning IT HAD SNOWED! It's a Christmas miracle!
Anyway, on Christmas morning we got up and opened up our stockings. Then we made breakfast.
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| Out of focus selfies are the best. |
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| Eggnog french toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, and Tim Horton's Hot chocolate. |
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| The tree looks bigger from this angle. |
Basically, we had the best time giving each other gifts. I mean, yeah, it was great to get the biggest, fattest book on the planet (so excited to start reading it, too), but the simple act of giving was the best bit of the day. We were both so excited for the other as we excitedly exchanged gifts. I could have been happy not receiving anything, just as long as I could still give things to Jill (but now that I have all the things let's not go back in time and change that, okay? Okay.). But Christmas was a very special day for us, as I'm sure the first Christmas usually is for new married folk.
Ahem. Anyway...
We had dinner at Jill's Grandma Forsgren's place (with James and Megan) and then played games with James and Megan that night. Good times were had by all.
And then, of course, since there was snow on the ground, we went out the next day to make a snowman. Unfortunately, the snow wasn't that great, so we decided to be inspired by Calvin and Hobbes and create a special kind of...unfortunate snowman. This was the outcome:
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| That snowman has quite the butt. |
It didn't really look anything like Calvin's, but hey, it never hurts to have a metal pole growing out of your head. Unless, of course, it does...
And so that was Christmas (and a few of the surrounding days). New Year's is just around the corner, so in farewell for now, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and, as the Scottish would (and will) say, Happy Hogmanay!
Monday, December 15, 2014
Apologies and a Family Photo
People. We are so. Sorry.
We are vile.
We are plumb useless.
We apologize profusely for failing to update this thing in, like, forever.
But we've been busy (excuse #1). We will try, from here on out, to do better. But we cannot promise once a week, as we have hitherto done. We will do our best, but it might be one in two (gasp).
But here's the lowdown on what's been happening.
Jill has been doing her practicum teaching in Spanish Fork. She absolutely loves the kids she teaches (1st grade), and I've seen her interest in them grow as her time there wore on. She really did love the children from day one, but her care and concern for them grew as the weeks went on. Isn't she just precious!? She's the best. She would always come back with fun stories from her days at school. What fun.
I have also been doing some teaching of my own. I was taking the class that is the precursor to teaching seminary as a full-time job, so I was able to hit the classroom here and there, and then for two weeks straight. It ended the week before last, and it was so much fun. I loved being able to teach and interact with the youth. It's something I would have loved to have done as a profession, but alas, I received an email today from my teachers saying I was not accepted. But they made sure to tell me that I shouldn't feel like a failure because I was able to bless my fellow classmates and those I taught. Nice words for sure. I'm not too terribly bummed out because I kind of knew I wouldn't get it, but it sure would have been nice. But the things I learned in that class and while teaching are some of the most valuable things I could have learned, and I don't think I could have learned them anywhere else. Now it's onward and upward, but at least I'll get to keep those skills I learned and all the knowledge that came with that class.
Also, we took family pictures yesterday. Here's one of them:
So yeah. There's that, too :)
We are vile.
We are plumb useless.
We apologize profusely for failing to update this thing in, like, forever.
But we've been busy (excuse #1). We will try, from here on out, to do better. But we cannot promise once a week, as we have hitherto done. We will do our best, but it might be one in two (gasp).
But here's the lowdown on what's been happening.
Jill has been doing her practicum teaching in Spanish Fork. She absolutely loves the kids she teaches (1st grade), and I've seen her interest in them grow as her time there wore on. She really did love the children from day one, but her care and concern for them grew as the weeks went on. Isn't she just precious!? She's the best. She would always come back with fun stories from her days at school. What fun.
I have also been doing some teaching of my own. I was taking the class that is the precursor to teaching seminary as a full-time job, so I was able to hit the classroom here and there, and then for two weeks straight. It ended the week before last, and it was so much fun. I loved being able to teach and interact with the youth. It's something I would have loved to have done as a profession, but alas, I received an email today from my teachers saying I was not accepted. But they made sure to tell me that I shouldn't feel like a failure because I was able to bless my fellow classmates and those I taught. Nice words for sure. I'm not too terribly bummed out because I kind of knew I wouldn't get it, but it sure would have been nice. But the things I learned in that class and while teaching are some of the most valuable things I could have learned, and I don't think I could have learned them anywhere else. Now it's onward and upward, but at least I'll get to keep those skills I learned and all the knowledge that came with that class.
Also, we took family pictures yesterday. Here's one of them:
So yeah. There's that, too :)
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Pumpkins and Death
Last Monday we had a magnificent FHE with Tim and Nena (holla!) where we carved pumpkins! Because it's October and Halloweeny and that's what we do.
If you watched last Monday's vlog you will have seen the relative size of the pumpkins Jill and I used to hack away at and mutilate to our heart's content. I must say, our pumpkins turned out rather well. Let me show you with the magic of digital images:
As you can see, Jill's is a fantastic cyclops-minion pumpkin. It looks awesome.
Mine, well, I tried to do a stormtrooper (you know, from Star Wars). It's close. But if you didn't know what to look for, you might have a hard time distinguishing it from other pumpkins carved by five-year-olds.
So that was last Monday.
Today as we walked outside of our apartment, we looked at our beloved pumpkins (we do that every time we leave. We love them so much). What we saw horrified us beyond reason:
They DIED!
They aged so fast that the mold of life took them oh-so prematurely. We're not exactly sure why they didn't even last a week, but they sure looked good for those couple of days we had them for. Our beloved pumpkins will always remain in our hearts.
If you watched last Monday's vlog you will have seen the relative size of the pumpkins Jill and I used to hack away at and mutilate to our heart's content. I must say, our pumpkins turned out rather well. Let me show you with the magic of digital images:
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| Jill's pumpkin |
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| Jill's pumpkin glowing |
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| Ben's pumpkin |
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| Ben's pumpkin glowing |
Mine, well, I tried to do a stormtrooper (you know, from Star Wars). It's close. But if you didn't know what to look for, you might have a hard time distinguishing it from other pumpkins carved by five-year-olds.
So that was last Monday.
Today as we walked outside of our apartment, we looked at our beloved pumpkins (we do that every time we leave. We love them so much). What we saw horrified us beyond reason:
They DIED!
They aged so fast that the mold of life took them oh-so prematurely. We're not exactly sure why they didn't even last a week, but they sure looked good for those couple of days we had them for. Our beloved pumpkins will always remain in our hearts.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Nature, Harley, and Not Much Else
GUYS I'M SO SORRY! It's been FOREVER since this blog has been updated.
We'll do better. Which I believe we said we would do in a previous post, so you can see how well that ended up.
Anyway, a couple things for this post.
First, we took a trip a wee bit up the canyon last week (actually, last last week) and took some pictures of the fall foliage. Unfortunately the leaves weren't entirely changed yet (or in most cases, at all), but we were still able to get some good shots.
Just...look at some of the pictures and smile at nature. Also, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so this should help me meet my quota for today's post.
It's pretty awesome to be able to live in an area with this kind of awesome just a short drive away. Sometimes it's nice just to go and be with nature and forget about the hustle and bustle of busy Provo life. Nature's everywhere. Sometimes it's in your back yard, and sometimes you have to drive a ways to find it. Wherever it is, it's a good reminder of God's love for us. I mean just look at that cool red leaf! That is one good lookin' leaf. God must have known it would be admired for its uniqueness, contrasting its red/orange/yellow with the gray rubble of the ground.
And then there's the double waterfalls, spilling water continuously from some unseen spring. I mean, only water can do that. I sure couldn't. Let's be honest, if I were to cascade down a rock face like that, I'd end up really really dead. But the water doesn't die. It runs on. I'm sure there's a gospel lesson in there if we look hard enough (as in really, really hard).
Anyway, nature is awesome.
THING TWO.
Jill rode a motorcycle.
It's okay! Don't worry! She didn't die!
In fact, she even wore a helmet!
My pops was in town on Friday and after an hour or so of begging and pleading, he agreed to take her for a spin on his Harley. What a guy, right!?
Actually I'm going to turn this over to Jill now so she can describe the experience to you in all its glory.
Enter Jill.
What the new sensation!?! I learned how to ride a motorized scooter over the summer and so I was expecting it to be like that but man it was so much better. It was smooth. And scary! Call me a sissy but I leaned against the sissy bar the whole time. It was a very exciting ride around the block and I think it prepped me for the next time I ride who knows when. But thank you Papa K for the ride!
Exit Jill.
Enter Ben.
So there you have it, right out of the horse's mouth (no offense, dear).
But we've been having a good couple of weeks. Things have been busy but that's the way we like it.
Also, general conference was great this weekend. We were able to go up to the Saturday afternoon session and sit in for that. Always nice to get tickets to go (thanks Papa J!).
Anyway, that's all for now. I hope everyone else had a great conference weekend and may this week be the best one of your life!
Cheers.
We'll do better. Which I believe we said we would do in a previous post, so you can see how well that ended up.
Anyway, a couple things for this post.
First, we took a trip a wee bit up the canyon last week (actually, last last week) and took some pictures of the fall foliage. Unfortunately the leaves weren't entirely changed yet (or in most cases, at all), but we were still able to get some good shots.
Just...look at some of the pictures and smile at nature. Also, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so this should help me meet my quota for today's post.
It's pretty awesome to be able to live in an area with this kind of awesome just a short drive away. Sometimes it's nice just to go and be with nature and forget about the hustle and bustle of busy Provo life. Nature's everywhere. Sometimes it's in your back yard, and sometimes you have to drive a ways to find it. Wherever it is, it's a good reminder of God's love for us. I mean just look at that cool red leaf! That is one good lookin' leaf. God must have known it would be admired for its uniqueness, contrasting its red/orange/yellow with the gray rubble of the ground.
And then there's the double waterfalls, spilling water continuously from some unseen spring. I mean, only water can do that. I sure couldn't. Let's be honest, if I were to cascade down a rock face like that, I'd end up really really dead. But the water doesn't die. It runs on. I'm sure there's a gospel lesson in there if we look hard enough (as in really, really hard).
Anyway, nature is awesome.
THING TWO.
Jill rode a motorcycle.
It's okay! Don't worry! She didn't die!
In fact, she even wore a helmet!
My pops was in town on Friday and after an hour or so of begging and pleading, he agreed to take her for a spin on his Harley. What a guy, right!?
Actually I'm going to turn this over to Jill now so she can describe the experience to you in all its glory.
Enter Jill.
What the new sensation!?! I learned how to ride a motorized scooter over the summer and so I was expecting it to be like that but man it was so much better. It was smooth. And scary! Call me a sissy but I leaned against the sissy bar the whole time. It was a very exciting ride around the block and I think it prepped me for the next time I ride who knows when. But thank you Papa K for the ride!
 |
| Pics to prove this happened! |
Exit Jill.
Enter Ben.
So there you have it, right out of the horse's mouth (no offense, dear).
But we've been having a good couple of weeks. Things have been busy but that's the way we like it.
Also, general conference was great this weekend. We were able to go up to the Saturday afternoon session and sit in for that. Always nice to get tickets to go (thanks Papa J!).
Anyway, that's all for now. I hope everyone else had a great conference weekend and may this week be the best one of your life!
Cheers.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Death Star, Wet Sponges, and Long (Short) Books
Apparently last week's blog post was a cop out. Our apologies to everyone who was waiting with baited breath for an enthralling post about the excitements of our lives. Unfortunately, not every week is as exciting as the Death Star trench run.
Anyway, since school started Jill has been working her night job while still having early class because I, in my inability to be legal, could not work. So the poor girl has been working late into the night (morning?) and then waking up early to be a good student. I'd tell the whole story of why I wasn't legal to work, but it's boring and, quite frankly, I don't think I even understand it fully. Suffice it to say, I would be shipped back to Canada if I had started working before being authorized.
Fortunately, my employment card finally showed up last week and I was able to get my job back with the MTC doing all their video needs. This means that Jill was finally able to quit her job and get all the sleep she needs! At least, she gets a lot more sleep now than she used to.
I got back to work just in time because last night at devotional Mr. Ballard spoke (M. Russell... Mr...get it? Ok...). Church AV brought their super-nice broadcast truck so we can broadcast to the international MTCs, since our current camera/broadcast situation in our facilities are being upgraded. Funny how "upgraded" means "doesn't quite work yet."
Working with Church AV has some great perks. One such perk is we actually get fed dinner before the devotional. Otherwise we'd have to fend for ourselves.
The second perk is the equipment. This is the cameras they have and we get to use:
The lens itself is worth over $25,000. I've absolutely loved all the time we've had working with Church AV. Knowing how to put together and use these crazy-nice broadcast cameras has been amazing. Nerd alert.
But like I said, last night Elder Ballard spoke, and although it's sometimes hard to actually listen to the talk (since I have to focus on getting shots and listen to voices in my head - ie. the director), it's still a huge blessing to just be in the same room as him.
Moving on to this past Monday, Jill had to volunteer at some teacher/parent carnival/party/thing at an elementary school. I was a little nervous, because the last time I was at a carnival-type event I ended up with sopping-wet sponges thrown into my face.
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| Stay on target... |
Anyway, since school started Jill has been working her night job while still having early class because I, in my inability to be legal, could not work. So the poor girl has been working late into the night (morning?) and then waking up early to be a good student. I'd tell the whole story of why I wasn't legal to work, but it's boring and, quite frankly, I don't think I even understand it fully. Suffice it to say, I would be shipped back to Canada if I had started working before being authorized.
Fortunately, my employment card finally showed up last week and I was able to get my job back with the MTC doing all their video needs. This means that Jill was finally able to quit her job and get all the sleep she needs! At least, she gets a lot more sleep now than she used to.
I got back to work just in time because last night at devotional Mr. Ballard spoke (M. Russell... Mr...get it? Ok...). Church AV brought their super-nice broadcast truck so we can broadcast to the international MTCs, since our current camera/broadcast situation in our facilities are being upgraded. Funny how "upgraded" means "doesn't quite work yet."
Working with Church AV has some great perks. One such perk is we actually get fed dinner before the devotional. Otherwise we'd have to fend for ourselves.
The second perk is the equipment. This is the cameras they have and we get to use:
 |
| Drool... |
The lens itself is worth over $25,000. I've absolutely loved all the time we've had working with Church AV. Knowing how to put together and use these crazy-nice broadcast cameras has been amazing. Nerd alert.
But like I said, last night Elder Ballard spoke, and although it's sometimes hard to actually listen to the talk (since I have to focus on getting shots and listen to voices in my head - ie. the director), it's still a huge blessing to just be in the same room as him.
Moving on to this past Monday, Jill had to volunteer at some teacher/parent carnival/party/thing at an elementary school. I was a little nervous, because the last time I was at a carnival-type event I ended up with sopping-wet sponges thrown into my face.
 |
| Anything for the kids... |
But I digress.
We were assigned to help at the fishing pond booth where kids fished for fish (derp), and when they caught one (ie. when the person hiding behind the blue sheet clipped a laminated paper fish to the paper clip at the end of the child's rod), they could trade it in for a free book! How awesome is that!? Pretty dang awesome. Except that the Iron Man and Captain America books were all in Spanish. But that didn't stop some of the kids from running off with them. The first kid to win a book held up and Iron Man book and asked if we had one in English, since he didn't know Spanish. I said no, but told him he could use the book to learn Spanish! As a joke. Well, I'm not used to interacting with younglings of that age, and so he decided to go with it. Before I could tell him I was joking he had run off with the book, excited as ever.
At least it has fun pictures in it.
Anyway, we had fun helping out and giving out free books.
Speaking of books...
Today I just finished reading J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. WOWDEEWOWWOW that was a tough one to get through. If you thought the actual Lord of the Rings books were difficult, you should try reading the history of Middle-earth. It's a doosey. But at the same time, it's rather quite interesting (if you're in to histories of fictitious places). Just thought I'd share that with the world. I felt like it was a big enough accomplishment that I deserve to. It's weird, because that book is 304 pages and it took me forever to read it, whereas I can read a book that is gigantic (say, for instance, A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan) in just two days.
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| 4 weeks |
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| 2 days |
Something's wrong with me. But we already knew that.
So that's enough about me and my reading habits. Jill and I will do better at updating this thing and making it interesting for everyone. Have a nice day, and wake me up when September ends.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Today's Blog is a Vlog
In light of nothing terribly exciting happening for us to write about, we decided to leave with all you wonderful people the latest vlog post from my YouTube channel. If you ever had that uncanny desire to snoop around our apartment, now's your chance.
Enjoy.
Also if you haven't yet subscribed to this blog I highly recommend it. Also the YouTube channel (shameless plug).
Enjoy.
Also if you haven't yet subscribed to this blog I highly recommend it. Also the YouTube channel (shameless plug).
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