It's almost time......Jared and Jessica are getting married December 19th 2009. We can't wait! Alot has been going on but they have stuck it out together and with the support of the Stradling family.

Meet Charlie

Our new addition to the family....we just adopted him yesterday from a local shelter. He is just four months old.

To new beginnings.....

Well here goes nothing. I am starting a new "life style change". NO more crash diets or crazy programs. I am doing it my way.....one step at a time! It took me months to get this way then that means it will probably take that long to take it off. There is no such thing as easy weight loss. Plus I am doing this not to lose weight but to get healthier and to enrich my life with a better and long lasting way of life. There are no "dead lines" or a "goal weight" just to live life the best that I can.

ROXY

Awh remember this cutie. This is Roxy our first dog. Ethan found her on night at work around Christmas time last year. She was a tiny hungry pup and keep following him around while he was fixing a back-flow never one of the schools so he brought her home. Just before we moved out of our apartment on Val Vista we had to find her a new home. We miss her very much but she has a new loving family with a huge yard and another dog to play with. :)

Our First Apartment

I found some pictures of Ethan and mine first Apartment as a married couple. It was over on the corner of Val Vista and Southern here in Mesa Arizona.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (chopped, if needed) macadamia nuts
2 cups white chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl then set aside. Beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla with a mixer until creamy.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just mixed. Stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips by hand. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased or lined baking sheet
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges look golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 4-5 minutes (so cookies can set) before moving to a rack. Enjoy.

The Jakes

FUN...Aim and Ignite

Last night was the best night ever....Ethan, Jared, Jessica, Dallin and I went to The FUN...Aim and Ignite concert with Nate from The Format. It was at The Clubhouse over off of Broadway so it was a smaller concert but it was packed elbow to elbow but it was well worth it because we got to be right up there by the stage. The opening band was The Jakes. After they were done they set up the stage for the main event...FUN. While we watched them get the stage ready everyone was getting excited. You could tell as soon as they came on the stage when everyone started screaming and jumping around. During the concert they play all of their new songs from the Aim and Ignite Album but also through a few from the first albums. Finally it was close to the end only a few songs left and they shocked us all with something no one expected. The drummer proposed to his girlfriend right in front of everything. It was so sweet. Then they the song we all have been waiting for...Take Your Time (Coming Home). To sum it all up it was the best concert I have ever been to!!!!

Awhhh look how adorable my little "rascal" is. He is Turning five this year. :)

One year ago tonight ....Ethan PROPOSED!!!! It was the greatest night every. We were roasting marshmallows over a fire in his folks backyard when he asked me to put another marshmallow on his stick and I saw something glimmering at the end. As soon as I realize what it was he knelt next to me and ask for my hand in marriage. Afterwards we went inside to celebrate with his family.

This year for my birthday Ethan decided to build my a wooden planter box for a garden that we can put on our apartment porch. When Ethan got home from work we pick up Skylar and went to Home Depot for wood and supplies.Afterwards we went back to his folks house and started building our planter.

Exciting news in the Stradling Family....We are going to have two new additions to the family. Jared Stradling is engaged to the beautiful Jessica Cooper who has a five years old son named Zach.

Well this December 31st is Ethan and mine 1st Anniversary. It's hard to believe how fast this year has gone. We have experienced alot our first year of marriage from me losing my job at Verizon Wireless back in March to jumping around from apartment to apartment. Through it all we have stuck it out and have learn alot about each other. Not all of it has been hard, we got to take a weekend trip back in August to Oceanside California with my mom and sister, went camping with Ethan's family and also went up to the white mountains for my Nelson Family Reunion. Ethan it doing well at Metro Fire Euipment. He's been there over a year now and is still loving it.
I am currently helping take care of Stephen through respite care (Arion) while I try to find a full time position.

Right now we found a nice apartment over off of Alma School. Found out that Ethan grandma use to live in this very complex when he was a kid. We really like in here and that's a good thing because we'll be here for the next year :)