Happy Halloween!

Saturday Bry and I decided to carve pumpkins! True to Bryan's personality just carving them on our own wasn't good enough; We had to get the special carving tool kit. As much as I harass him--he was right--it was more fun. I was quite impressed with my pumpkin choosing skills. Bry kept picking out the ones that tipped over so I took over and found two monster, perfect standing pumpkins. We took them home and Bry so graciously scraped out the insides for me.

















Bryan decided to take on one of the more advanced carvings. I'm sure you can guess which one is his. It took him a bit longer than me to finish. However I'm sure his defense will be that he did all the hard work on my pumpkin. :) After we finished we waited for it to get dark so we could test them out.

They turned out pretty cute huh?!? I'm quite fond of my little bat. I don't think I have carved a pumpkin since I was in Girl Scouts back in about 3rd grade. It was a really fun thing to do together!

Miracles

I stole these picture from my cousin's wife Katie. I just cannot get over what a miracle this is. My Aunt and Uncle Sabin's home was literally just barely spared from the fires in San Diego. In all the devestation that happened last week this is such a huge blessing.

I love Mail Deliveries!

Yesterday I came home from a looong day of work to find MAIL! Something about it just totally brightens my day. I love the surprise. Yesterday was especially great because I got three packages! I'd ordered some of Shannon Hale's books a while ago and they never came. Finally yesterday I got Enna Burning AND Princess Academy which I am so excited to read! And to top it all off I got a sweet little box from my best friend in Boston! Thanks Kri for the note and toothpaste :) I can't tell you how much I miss you!! Anyway...maybe I'm extremely pathetic for blogging about mail...but it's the little things that make life so good, right!

Happy Sumo and A Homecoming

This weekend was packed full of family. Bryan's mom and our sister in law Ashley came out for a visit. Mom and Megan have been staying with us and it's been so fun. Lots of game playing! I love that our place is big enough to accommodate company now! We introduced them to Happy Sumo; so delicious! We had been planning on going up to Gardner's Village all week but the "snow storm" didn't make that seem too appealing. Instead we met up with Ashley and our niece Keira for the day. It was great--we miss them so much!

Sunday day was filled with my family. My cousin Chris got home from his mission in Vancouver, Canada. Tons of my extended family was in town to celebrate his homecoming. It was a nice change to not be the only "Hoggatt" representing at an extending family gathering. Even if the other Hoggatt only made fun of the all the old people's overly vibratoy voices the entire meeting. Chris gave an incredible talk; It always amazes me how much growth can happen during two years. I think Chris changed even more than most because of the trials he faced with what happened to my Uncle Jan while he was gone. His stories of dedication and love of the Savior brought the spirit in so strongly and the emotions were running pretty high for all of us. Sitting there and seeing what my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins have had to endure was very difficult; but looking around the church and seeing pew after pew full of family members made me see how our family really is there to bear one another's burdens and love unconditionally.

Anyway, it will be great to have Chris back. He left two days before Bry and I got married so it was kind of sad to have him miss out on that big change in my life when we have been so close. But I'm sure he'll get plenty of us now! :) I thought this pic was a fun flashback. Right after my bridals Allene told us to come over so Chris could see my dress.

Cousins! Brenda, Tosh, Me, and Chris doing the over happy smile.

Two Years!

The 14th Bry and I celebrated our two year anniversary! It is hard to believe how quickly it has gone. I have been eternally blessed having this amazing man at my side these past two years. I am so thankful for his endless ability to make me laugh and feel unconditionally loved. I just feel so lucky to have found him because he is with out a doubt my other half. I have also been so blessed these last two years to learn and grow with him and I cannot wait for all the other experiences that are ahead for us.

We had a pretty laid back weekend because I wasn't feeling too hot. We are definitely planning on going down to SLC to the Melting Pot to make up for it. Bryan had been dying to get the new electronic monopoly so we bought that and played it a ton. I'm not sure why I played so many times--probably because of the thought that "next time I'll beat him good." YEAH RIGHT. You'd think he'd let his ill wife win but no such luck. It's a pretty sweet game...you get to use credit cards, and the board is updated with places like Time Square and Disney Land. Anyway we played that and watched lots of movies. Saturday we went to lunch at Shoots and then for a drive up the canyon to see the pretty fall leaves. It was gorgeous! It was a very laid back weekend but I just enjoy every minute that we are together so it was great!

BYU Throwing Elbows

The Princeton Review just named BYU law school the most competitive school in the United States. The Deseret Morning news ran an article on it yesterday. Most of the comments are hilarious. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695216995,00.html

For 10 years, surveys of college students have placed BYU first on the Princeton Review's list of "stone-cold sober" schools. In two new books, the company ranks students in BYU's law school and graduate business programs No. 1 in the category "Most Competitive Students."

My favorite line from the article followed that, "Does that mean BYU grad students are running around with 8-ounce milk cartons under one arm while throwing elbows at each other with the other?"

Ahh good old BYU: sober and out for blood. :)

My Firsts

First Friend: The first friend that I really remember is Kelly Prissel. We were three and had both just moved into the neighborhood. She came and played on my swing set without asking and I was mad.
First Time to Disneyland: I have yet to be to Disneyland; I have however been to Disneyworld! My first time was my freshman year of highschool with my family and I had MONO! I was dying with all the walking it required but it was still such a blast!
First Memorable Gift: This is hard! I think it would be my first birthday with Bry. He got me this necklace that I said I'd loved a month earlier and completely forgotten about. Plus he made me a three layer pink cake because pink is my fav! Overall he is just the most thoughtful gift giver. He always pays close attention and gives gifts that mean the most.
First Time Wearing Makeup: I started dancing when I was three and we always caked on the make up for recitals. I think I actually started wearing make up in 6th grade but only mascara was allowed.
First Birthday Party: My mom put together a scavenger hunt and lunch for all my girl friends.
First Pet: My entire life we had one family pet: Sunny a fish that died two weeks later. My mom and dad weren't big on the animals.
First Car: My first and only car is Connie, my sweet '99 Ford Conture Sport. Yeah that's right, Jack splurged and gave me the up-graded pack.
First Job: I was a sales associate at a department store in the home and china department.
First Car Accident: My first and really only accident was with my friend Jackie's mail box. I backed right into it and almost completely plowed it over. The worst part was that it was in the dead center of their yard, NOT right off the drive way.
First Concert: This would be Country Jam my Junior year where we saw Brooks and Dunn.
First College Roommate: My best friend that I grew up with and I were roommates in St. Cloud.
First Airplane Ride Alone: The first time I flew home from BYU after my sophomore year of college right after my 21st birthday.
First Time I Met Bryan: It was our first big storm in Provo and we were having a snowball fight in the King Henry quad. Bryan was "the new kid". He came out in his flip flops, nailed my roommate and I with snowballs and then went back inside.
Us and Our first home:
First Kiss with Bryan: Well I couldn't have dreamed up a more romantic first kiss. I had just met his sister and brother in law for the first time that night down in SLC. We got home late but weren't ready to leave each other. We decided to go up to the BYU Castle; on the drive up I remember Kenny Chesney's Something Sexy About the Rain song coming on. We got out of the car and as we were walking up to see the view from the castle it started to down pour. So I got my first kiss from my husband in a castle in a rain storm! :)
First Home with Bryan: Our townhouse in Countrywoods.
First Real Job: I don't know that I consider my job at the Health Center a "real" job, but I am graduated from college and this is where I work.
First Time I Realized I Wasn't a Kid Any More: I thought I realized I wasn't a kid anymore when I transferred to BYU. I was on my own and knew I wouldn't be seeing my family more than once a year. But I think I really realized it when I got married and saw that I had my own family and husband to care for. Although I'll admit that Bry does a really great job of letting me feel like I still am a kid somedays. :)
First time snowboarding: (For Kristen) My first and last time snowboarding was at Snowbird with the inseparable Kristen, Rob, and Kevin. It was so fun for about the first two hours. After that my bum and knees just killed. My last time down the mountain I fell over and just started crying like a baby; I'm pretty sure Rob and Kevin just laughed at me. Then I went back to the car and slept for the last 2 hours of the day while they continued snowboarding. When we got home and took off all the layers my knees were seriously black and blue and swollen.

Parent-Job Description :)

POSITION :
Mom, Mommy, Mama, MaDad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop
JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.