Year in Review

Our Year in Review 2012

January

We start off the new year at the cabin with the Field crew, complete with snowmobiling, capture the flag, all night games of Pit, and lots of movies.

Spring semester starts.  Tyson is thinking about Civil Engineering as a major and takes two math classes at the same time.  We take a "Building an Eternal Marriage" institute class together.  Tyson is working as manager of two Cricket stores.

February

After 6 months on an imaginary waiting list, we finally get to upgrade from our tiny one-bedroom apartment to a less tiny two bedroom apartment.  Tyson's parents and Andy and William come up to help us move.  

March

Tyson has to work so Spring Break is spent at home.  Rachel turns 21.  

Tyson learns how to change the brakes on our car.

April

Easter and General Conference are spent with both families.  We seran wrap Tate's room and dye the Pearce's milk purple for April Fools' Day.  Tyson's mom includes a pineapple in our Easter basket because it is a sign of fertility.  

May

We both survive the semester and get out with good grades.  

We buy a new tent and enjoy the first camping trip of the summer with Mom and Dad Field, Kelli, Andy, William, Brady, Kai, and Alix in Logan Canyon.  We tested the strength of the rain fly and got really good at lighting fires in the rain.

Ready to hike the wind caves

We celebrate Baby Animal Days with Graci and Makenna and enjoy a family barbecue and baby shower for Trevor and Sherstin

Rachel gets a summer job at a call center called Opinionology.

Nephew Carter Scott Pearce is born! Congratulations Sherstin and Trevor.

June

Tyson's Grandma Rosie passes away.

Our first anniversary! We celebrate with a fancy dinner and pedicures for both of us.

We take a day trip up to Bear Lake with some of Tyson's old soccer friends and coach.  We take Tate rock climbing for his first time.

July

We celebrate the 4th of July in Kaysville and then head up to Bear Lake for the annual Croxford family reunion.  This year we rented a fancy cabin for the whole clan to stay in.

Rachel's Grandpa Croxford passes away shortly after Bear Lake. A bitter-sweet funeral celebrates his life and reunion with Grandma. 


August
We get to attend the wedding of two great friends, Tristan and Megan Tesch.

Robert gets home from his mission in Taiwan.  Tyson hadn't seen him for almost four years! We have to stop for gas and miss him getting off the plane.  Luckily Kelli and Andy drove separately and made it just in time.

We have the first of what we hope will be an annual Pearce family camping trip.  We camp in Logan Canyon so Tyson can drive back and forth for work.

Rachel quits her job at Opinionology.

We get hired to be Resident Assistants for USU Family Housing.  This means we get to move again, making this one our third apartment in Aggie Village within a year.  We are excited to work together and for the free rent.

School starts again.  Tyson is working on finishing his generals and is thinking about physical therapy.  Rachel will be student teaching in a 3-year-old preschool class this semester.

September
School is in full swing.  Rachel drops a class to keep up with preschool.  Tyson is taking calculus and chemistry.

Tyson runs his first marathon!  He races in the Top of Utah Marathon with brother-in-law Josh and gets a time of 4:10 with only five weeks of training.  Kelli, Andy, William, and Brady surprise him at the finish line. 

Before

During

After!

Tyson turns 23.  He still tells people he's 21 whenever he gets asked how old he is.  His parents come up and take us out to dinner.  We get to celebrate three more times later in the month with Brady, Kelli and Andy, and the Pearce's.

Nephew Truman Jace Beattie is born! Congratulations Krista and Josh and family!

Tyson quits his job at Cricket.  


October
We get tickets for the first session of General Conference.  This is Rachel's first time attending a session in the Conference Center.  Riley and his friend Avala join us.

Tyson crashes on his bicycle on his way home from class and gets to ride in an ambulance to the emergency room.  He is extremely lucky and gets out with only a broken cheekbone, torn up ear, and a concussion. He entertains the doctors and nurses by talking about how hot his wife is before Rachel can get to the hospital.  

This was AFTER the wounds were cleaned up.

A CAT Scan, couple of x-rays, and a couple dozen stitches later...

Kelli, Andy, and William joined us this year for the annual North Logan Pumpkin Walk.  We dress up as motorcycle gang members for the first couple parties, then as a mad scientist and his hunchbacked minion for the third.

November
Tyson gets hired to bus tables at a Japanese restaurant called Kabuki's.

We have Thanksgiving dinner with the Pearce family on Wednesday and the Field family on Thursday. 

Ready to run the Thanksgiving relay!

Rachel successfully finishes her preschool student teaching.


December
We survive the end of the semester.  Tyson gets 100% on his calculus final and ends up with all A's and a B in chemistry.  Now he is thinking he likes the idea of Occupational Therapy more than Physical Therapy and registers for OT pre-requisites for spring semester. Rachel has easy finals and ends up with all A's.  

Rachel plans the program for the Ward Christmas Party. 

We inherit Grandma Rosy's Christmas tree and decorations and enjoy having a fully-decorated apartment for the month.

We enjoy a relaxing Christmas break full of family, including lots of games, a crazy nativity play, a powerful family testimony meeting, trips to the Road Home, Temple Square, and City Creek, and we actually took pictures this year!

Pearce Family Nativity

Brady and Robert came up to Logan to celebrate New Year's Eve with us.  We played games, watched TV, ate pizza, drank apple beer and sparkling cider, and counted down to midnight.


And thus it was.

Happy New Year!

Reunion

My beautiful grandmother passed away 10 1/2 years ago.  Ten years already sounds like a long time, but it seems even longer when put into the perspective of how much has happened in that decade.  I was in fifth grade and not quite eleven when she died.  In the last 10 1/2 years....

7 Grandchildren were added to the family,

3 Grandchildren served full-time missions,

10 More grandchildren were married, and

22 Great-Grandchildren were born.

There were 10 Annual Croxford Family Christmas parties,

10 trips to Bear Lake,

And many more get-togethers in between.

That's only a small sample of the life events that we have celebrated in our family in the last decade. That is a lot of life to live without your eternal companion by your side.

Today, after ten-and-a-half long years apart, my grandfather was finally reunited with the love of his life.

It is always sad to lose someone you love, but today I am also filled with joy that they are finally having their reunion in Heaven.  His heart broke when she died, and I imagine that today, it's finally full again.

See you later, Grandpa.

Love, 

Rachel

SURPRISE!!!

I'M ENGAGED!!!

...To this hunk right here!

We will be married in the Bountiful LDS Temple on 

June 9, 2011!

...Details coming soon...

One Hundred

Well folks, it's finally that time. After nearly two years of haphazard blogging, I have finally reached my 100th post! To celebrate this not-so-monumental occasion, I will bless your life by telling you one hundred semi-interesting things you probably never cared to know about me. So without further ado and in no particular order, I give you an excruciatingly long list that you probably won't finish reading. Cheers!

1.       I was named after my grandma Nell who was named after her father’s favorite horse.

2.       My family has lived in the same house my whole entire life and I’ve traded bedrooms more times than I can even count.

3.       You know how most little kids have monsters or ghosts under their beds? When I was little, I was convinced that there was a giant purple hairy octopus and a witch residing under mine.

4.       I STILL remember a dream I had when I was 3 or 4 years old where I got kidnapped by the milkman.

5.       I always keep Play-Doh, coloring books, and a large box of crayons on hand.

6.       I eat cereal as a late-night snack more often than I do for breakfast.

7.       Someday I want an old Victorian house with a huge yard, complete with a picket fence and wooden swing hanging from the giant willow tree out front. Oh, and don’t forget the breakfast nook.

8.       I am almost done with my sophomore year at Utah State University, and I love being an Aggie! I am dual majoring in Elementary and Early Childhood Education with a dual emphasis in math and English as a Second Language (ESL).

9.       Thanks to my daddy, baseball has always been my favorite sport.

10.   I will see Beyonce perform live and in the flesh before I die.

11.   I not-so-secretly wish I could belt it like a black girl.

12.   It is not rare for me to narrate my life in my head.

13.   One thing I cherish above most others is the close, personal relationship I share with both of my parents and all six of my siblings.

14.   Ever since I was little, I’ve had a strange love for elephants. Someday I will ride one.

15.   I’m not what you would consider the “outdoorsy type,” but I love spending time in nature. I like to think of nature as God’s artwork.

16.   Bear Lake is probably my favorite place in the world. I have gone at least once a year since I was born.

17.   Cheesecake is my greatest weakness.

18.   I really want a puppy.

19.   I have never cheated in school.

20.   In sixth grade, everyone called me George.

21.   I love pizza.

22.   I can spend a whole day in a bookstore just browsing. I want to have a library in my house one day.

23.   Hot chocolate should only ever be made with milk, not water.

24.   My favorite accessory is earrings.

25.   My milk of choice is 1%. I drink two gallons a week by myself.

26.   I absolutely love birthdays!

27.   Sometimes I buy underwear from the little girls’ department. I have no hips or bum.

28.   I am probably the whitest person I’ve met. I don’t tan, meaning I stay my winter shade of white even in the summer time.

29.   I have never owned an iPod.

30.   If I could go back in time and learn an instrument, it would be the cello.

31.   I get really excited about the idea of being a teacher.

32.   Even more than a teacher, I want to be a mommy.

33.   I’m not afraid to slip into the world of the imaginary.

34.   As far as I know, I was not born with any birthmarks.

35.   I frequently skip places instead of just walking.

36.   One of my biggest pet peeves is when cupboard or closet doors get left open.

37.   I have a lot of OCD tendencies.

38.   Ever heard of the love languages? My top two are quality time and physical touch.

39.   The ukulele is my instrument of choice.

40.   In high school I learned how to sword fight for our production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I’m probably a nerd for liking it so much, but sometimes I wish I could do it again.

41.   I don’t miss a single thing about high school, but I really miss the stage.

42.   Pet peeve #2: crumbs on the counter.

43.   I hate living with roommates. I can’t wait till my only roommate is my husband.

44.   In general, I really don’t like the color pink.

45.   I could read by the time I was four. I may not be very smart, but I’ve always loved learning.

46.   I was super shy when I was little. Really though.

47.   Even though I sometimes like to pretend otherwise, I’m probably more of a country girl than a city girl.

48.   I’ve always thought it would be fun to buy a trailer and a dog and spend a year or so road-tripping across the whole United States.

49.   I know it will never happen, but one dream of mine has always been to be the voice of a character in an animated movie.

50.   I take a nap almost every day.

51.   All three of my brothers are my heroes in different ways, and all of my sisters inspire me.

52.   I have an unhealthy love for TLC (as in “The Learning Channel” on TV).

53.   I am not afraid to belch and can usually out-perform most guys.

54.   I don’t shower every day.

55.   I have a slight fear of escalators.

56.   I secretly hope that my future family consists of mostly boys.

57.   My boys WILL be gentlemen.

58.   I thoroughly enjoy climbing trees.

59.   For a long time, I thought the tall towers with fire on top at the refineries were so we could still see in case the moon went out. (I have my sister to thank for that one.)

60.   Growing up, my favorite thing to do was to play house with my siblings.

61.   I am 20 years old and not a registered voter.

62.   I really regret quitting piano, and not practicing harder when I was taking lessons.

63.   I sleep curled up in the fetal position.

64.   I love being a big sister.

65.   Whenever I get stressed, my room gets really messy and I hate it.

66.   I relate everyday events to Harry Potter.

67.   Speaking of Harry Potter… I adore the books and hate the movies.

68.   I still enjoy watching cartoons. I’m a fan of Phineas and Ferb.

69.   I am terrible at getting my visiting teaching done.

70.   I have a secret, undying love for office supplies.

71.   I want to live in IKEA.

72.   I frequently find myself deciding what songs I would sing to certain people in various situations if my life were a musical.

73.   I’m poor, and I’m okay with it.

74.   When I was still a fetus, the doctor sent my mom to a specialist because my head was too small. They thought I was going to be handicapped, but it turns out my head is just a really weird shape.

75.   My skin is so fair that at one point, I started special ordering my makeup to get it light enough.

76.   I went through a phase as a child where I wanted to be a ventriloquist. I got a dummy for Christmas one year and would sit in my room practicing for hours.

77.   I went through another phase where I became obsessed with balloon-tying. I learned how to make all sorts of animals, toys, and hats out of balloons.

78.   I’m the only one in my immediate family with blue eyes.

79.   I’m really good at sounding like I know what I’m talking about.

80.   One time I dreamed that I was a golden retriever.

81.   Another time I dreamed that I was Steve Martin.

82.   I like to think that if I went to Hogwarts, I would be good friends with Fred and George Weasley.

83.   I have terrible eyesight. I can’t wait to have Lasik surgery one day.

84.   I love people-watching.

85.   Sometimes I talk in different accents in public if I don’t know anyone around me.

86.   I’m terrible with words, but I’m a really good speller.

87.   I love to play games with people, especially my family.

88.   Someday I want to own a children’s bookstore and/or old-fashioned toy store.

89.   My ultimate goal in life is to become the world’s coolest grandma.

90.   I have to learn to play the recorder in my elementary music class. Instead of actually learning the notes, I just watch other people’s fingerings and then play by ear.

91.   My mom has always been my best friend.

92.   I read for fun.

93.   I love hanging out with my family.

94.   I have always been close to the cousins on my mom’s side of the family. My dad’s family, on the other hand, conveniently forgets to invite us to stuff on a regular basis.

95.   In sixth grade, the computer teacher let me play games instead of doing the regular assignment whenever we were in the computer lab because I could type almost 60 words a minute.

96.   I consider myself a top-of-the-line Facebook finder. (It’s not stalking.)

97.   Maybe I’m just cocky, but I’ve always considered myself to be very mature for my age.

98.   I really like to talk, but I tend to be really quiet in unfamiliar settings.

99.   I love having painted toenails.

100.   I am a firm believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Still Thinking of You

Patience (n.): the state or quality of being patient; the power of suffering with fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil, pain, poverty, insult, oppression, calamity, etc.; the act or power of calmly or contentedly waiting for something due or hoped for

I pray you get the things you hope for.

Words of Wisdom

I had a great conversation with my mom today. It went something like this:

Mom: Girls are just mean. There's no way around it.

Me: Sometimes I wish I was a boy.
Mom: Then you would be dumb and insensitive.

Me: So mean and catty or dumb and insensitive are my only options?

Mom: Yep.

It's sad because it's true. I have to leave for class in a few minutes, so naturally instead of working on homework I'm listening to music. Here is my song of the day: (I don't know why it is so huge...)

 Low Rising by The Swell Season

I wanna sit you down and talk
I wanna pull back the veils

And find out what it is I've done wrong

I wanna tear these curtains down

I want you to meet me somewhere

Tonight in this old tourist town

And we´ll go

Low rising

´Cause we´ve gotta come up

We´ve gotta come up

Low rising

´Cause I fear we´ve had enough

Low rising

´Cause there´s no further for us to fall

Low rising

Oh for the love of you

I wanna take you to the rock

I wanna jump right in

And see what that big ocean's got

I wanna turn this thing around

I wanna drink with you

All night till we both fall down

Till we go

Low rising

´Cause we´ve gotta come up

We´ve gotta come up

Low rising

´Cause there´s no further for us to fall

Low rising

And I fear we´ve had enough

Low rising

Oh for the love of you

Low rising

´Cause we´ve gotta come up

We´ve gotta come up

Low rising

And I fear we´ve had enough

Low rising

´Cause there´s no further for us to fall

Low Rising

Oh for the love of you

For the love of you

Low rising low rising

I wanna sit you down and talk

I wanna sit you down and talk about it now 

I have a secret love for The Swell Season. You should check them out.

Here's another gem, shown to me by a good friend who doesn't realize just how great he is:

And...I still think "dumb and insensitive" is better than being a girl. Just sayin.

Missing in Action

Sometimes--a lot of times--life gets crazy. And sometimes when life gets especially crazy and busy, I forget to take time for myself. My whole life lately has been devoted to school and work and everything else that goes along with that. Obviously, I have been missing from the blogging world lately. Now, I don't know what my excuse for summer was because all I did was sit on my butt for six weeks after I had surgery, but it has been quite a while since I have had a significant blog post. So here is a quick synopsis of my life as of late:


Summer
My summer was spent having and then recovering from re-constructive plastic surgery to fix my nose that I broke when I was about seven. The doctor reconstructed my nose to improve functionality (I couldn't breathe out of my nose for several years prior to surgery) and to bring it back to what it would have looked like if I had never broken it. It was probably the most painful experience of my life. I felt (and looked) like I had been hit by a truck. Want to watch what they did to me? Click here to watch the video of my surgery. I wouldn't recommend watching if you have a weak stomach. (The actual surgery lasted about an hour and a half. I'm just glad I was asleep for the whole thing.) I had black eyes for a couple of weeks, was miserable for a couple more, and took the full six weeks to recover fully. It will take a whole year for my nose to fully finish adjusting to the surgery.


Fall, Part One: Work
I got hired at the end of the school year to be an RA (resident assistant) for USU housing this year. I moved back up to school two weeks early for training. I was in training or working for 10 to 12 hours every day for nearly the full two weeks. Pretty much I hated my life. The job is going well and I'm finally figuring out how not to let it run my life. Living where I work has its advantages, but it also gets really hard. Luckily I've made some awesome new friends this year who provide a good means of escape. 

I have my name on my door. I'm so official.

 Fall, Part Two: School
I have been officially accepted into the Emma Eccles Jones School of Teacher Education and Leadership, changed my major to Early Childhood and Elementary Education Composite major (previously it was just elementary K-6), and will finally start the program in the spring. I am doing math and ESL (English as a Second Language) endorsements. I'm done with math and I'm  taking my first ESL class this semester which I absolutely love! Yes, I am taking on a lot with basically a dual major/dual minor, but I'm happy with it. It's a good thing I love school because I'm going to be in college for a long time!


Fall, Part Three: Fun!
College wouldn't be college without a little fun. Granted, I haven't had a lot of spare time this semester, but I still find ways to keep myself entertained. My best friends definitely help with that! Justin is also an RA and keeps me from quitting my job, my roommate Angie keeps me from murdering the rest, and Ellis keeps me laughing. 
This semester I have...


 gone fishing for the first time in my life (thanks to Ellis),

I caught one! Too bad it was a smart fish and broke free...

played with Angie in Shelley, ID (where she's from) and spent fall break shooting terrorists, warming up at Lava Hot Springs, riding four-wheelers through spud farms, eating way too much chocolate, visiting the Idaho Falls Temple, cruising around town in a big truck, and learning how to make funnel cakes,

Me and Angie on our way to Idaho

got caught in several rain storms and was reminded of how terrible our football team is,

Roommate Melanie, Me, Brady, Roommate Angie

enjoyed the fall colors and the beautiful mountains,

Logan City Cemetery

come up with the worst possible clashing of colors and patterns,

I tie-dyed that apron myself. I'm that cool.

welcomed  in the arrival of basketball season,

Our homemade game-day tutus

had a police officer show me what marijuana smells like, used a fire extinguisher, witnessed and helped monitor a hilarious week of campus-wide Human vs. Zombies, pulled a series of harmless pranks, sang the National Anthem at a basketball game (and no, I will not post the video), made new friends, got an old one back, and much more.


Go Aggies!