Christmas with the Nethercotts

We spent Christmas with the Nethercotts. We got a lot of presents! My parents sent us some, my Aunt Juli sent us some, My brother and sister-in-law Bear and Lisa sent us some, Aaron and I gave each other a few and Aaron's parents gave us some. We were pretty well off this year. It was nice to be thought of by so many people. We got some fun gifts this year, nerf guns, iPod touch (ok ok, so that was our Christmas present to us from us ... using some of our Christmas money), a new HD webcam, chocolates mmm, oh yeah, and we found out I'm expecting!

Needless to say, it was an eventful Christmas.

I found out on Wednesday that I was expecting. Aaron had no idea but was already on his way to pick me up with his parents. He had been in Star Valley since Monday morning and I was supposed to go down to SV with a friend Christmas eve. Yeah, I caved in and cried and begged Aaron to come pick me up. So he came down Wednesday afternoon with his parents. I had gotten home from the doctors about 2 hours earlier and told him while I was still in shock. We celebrated with a temple trip and later that week: dinner at a local SV restaurant.

We kept it a secret from everyone till Christmas day. We had Aaron's mom read a statement that read: "Aaron and Brittany have ordered a custom-made gift. It's mostly for themselves, but they've decided to share with the family as well. Obviously, it didn't make it in time for Christmas, but it will be DELIVERED in 9 MONTHS." There were a chorus of "Oh! I get it" from his sisters, but his oldest sister and his parents got it right away.

Then we opened some more presents and I skyped my family. I read them the same statement and mom screamed! She then yelled the news to everyone in that house. We called other family members and told them the good news.

Christmas day was my first Christmas away from my family. I learned some fun, new traditions. They have a Christmas Eve candle-lit dinner, then we read Luke account of Christ's birth and sang some carols in between verses. Then, he Nethercotts open a gift Christmas eve. Before Christmas, they pick out a family member's name and give them a gift. That's the gift they open Christmas Eve. Then Christmas morning, the stockings are all filled and laid out on the kitchen table and there are presents from Santa at the front door. We opened our stockings and had fun with the things inside then we all opened Santa's gift: Nerf guns! Then we took turns opening presents. I missed a few of my families traditions, but it was still fun to learn new ones and be with the Nethercott family.

Here is Tiffany opening our gift to her. We made an elephant out of towels and gave it sunglasses and a matching earring and necklace set. She opened it up and said "It's Johnny Bravo!" ha ha ha. Oh well, it's the thought that counts right?

Here is a picture of Aaron ready to cross-country ski while his sisters went snowshoeing. How fun! Sadly, I didn't get to go because I wasn't feeling too hot but it did look loads of fun!

mmm mmm, what a HANDSOME man!! (In my bejeweled sunglasses!)

We're excited for our new baby and taking care of it as best we can! It is our own little Christmas miracle =)

Happy holidays everyone!

Subtle Hints ... never work

Is this subtle enough? (That's HIS backpack) Communication is key =)

In unrelated, yet important thanks:
Thank you Sarah! WE LOVE OUR HEADER!!!
Check out what she has to offer at http://proofred.blogspot.com/

Supercalafragilisticexpialadocious

So my recent trip to DI has been a great one!

Let me start with what has been happening recently …

I've been wanting a cat. We can't have a cat. So I've been feeding the strays. Oops :P. There are four of them and pictures are to come.

Ok ok ok, so let me defend myself. Cats ARE the pets #1 as a transmitter for disease and parasites. ESPECIALLY feral cats. You want to know why? Their DIET! They eat rats and mice … need I say more? So lately, the tenants of Mainstreet station have been complaining about the feral cats. They are concerned about them pooping in the playground (Legitimate concern). BUT nobody is willing to do anything about it! So I've been feeding them, hopefully to reduce their parasite load. Then once they become friendly, and feel comfortable around humans, I'll try to find them good homes that will take them in and hopefully spend some money giving them shots and spayed/neutered. If we don't do anything about them, they'll just reproduce and end up in the pound and stay in a little box until they are gassed. So … in my efforts to help these cats get used to me, I've made them a little bed for the winter.

This is what my DI trip was for. I got a THICK wool blanket (about the size of a saddle blanket) and folded it in 4ths. Under that, I put a thin fleece blanket folded in 6ths. All for 6 dollars! I actually tilted a flat cart-like thing we have on our porch over the bed so they have some wind protection. =) The little Siamese kitten has been sleeping there since I put it in! Too cute.

Now here comes the best part of my trip!

MOVIES!!! Each for $2!!!!

Pretty much the most AWESOME purchase!!

Oh yeah, and I got a neck pillow (You know, the little U shaped pillows for travel?!) Memory foam …. Wait for it …. $3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

$20 total. MAN I love DI!

Why'd it snow, why'd it snow, why'd it snow?

So it's now Brittany Nethercott official: Winter has hit Rexburg. I was in denial Saturday and rebelling with a light fall jacket. Now the winter coats, gloves, scarfs and hats are out. I'm reminded of an EFY song "Go bring them in from the Plains." There is a line from that song I sing every time I go outside. "The chilling wind cuts to the bone, I cannot feel my feet."

However, this time makes me grateful for the things I have: comfy microfiber blankets, central heating instead of a stove, warm clothing, electric blankets, down comforters, heating in my car, wool socks, thermal underwear, boots, Cute winter coats, and a husband with a heart so warm, it melts my own. It also makes me grateful that I was not involved in the settling of this area before central heating!!

So even though we have entered the lone and dreary world known as Rexburg, I will (as Monty Python said it best) "Always look on the bright side of life." Even IF I de-snow my car every morning of OCTOBER!!

My new hobby

Lately, I've been spending a little bit of my time volunteering at the local cat shelter. I LOVE IT! There are about 100 cats. They're in a small house (a little bit bigger than a trailer I suppose). There is a closed off room to the side where the kittens go. It's so fun. I really enjoy spending my time there. All we need now is a "prescription" for a therapy cat and we can have one in our apartment =) We'll see about that one though.

Simply homemade

Ok, so it's not so homemade. But it's partially homemade! I wanted a floating shelf for my spices so we could get into our small cupboard. So I went to DI! I found TONS of shelves! After a few minutes (Ok so like 20) I settled on a dirty, dingy, 3-tiered, wooden shelf. I came home and sanded the sucker and gave it several coats of navy spray paint to match my valences. All and all, it was a good buy =)

Shelf = $3

Spray paint = $2

Sanding sponge = $3

Having less congested cupboards and oven tops? = Priceless

Kingdom Anamalia

We have experienced exciting things from kingdom Anamalia today.

The day started with the equine family. We learned how to saddle our horses and we rode in circles today: Good experience

The next experience was in the feline family. We dissected cats today! I was the only one doing the dissections because everyone else was scared to cut open poor fluffy. (I think next lab I'll steal Amanda's idea and create a cat themed mix CD to play during the next dissection. Just to tick off the wooses.) Overall: Mixed experience

Next we approach the order coleoptera (Family and species unknown to us as we are not willing to get close enough to it to key it out, we'll ask the entomology teacher) We found it on the ground and took immediate interest. Our home teacher is taking a class that has him collecting various bugs. (I'm hooking him up with a Madagascar hissing cockroach tomorrow from my boss) So we called him up and told him about this beetle. He said he had too many beetles. Buut this bug was too cool to pass up. Below is our attempt to suffocate him. We'll see how long he takes to die.

The video will be posted soon!

Yes, we ARE nerds.