The Wonder Weeks...

What we have accomplished in the past 2 weeks...
-Cross Country trip in our van from Maine to Texas to New Mexico to Utah to Idaho! YAY!!
-Fixed our callipers, replaced a flat tire, replaced our two rear tires, and packed our lives in that whole van...
-Spent time with our families...
-And got married!

So the story. We were given a 1999 Windstar van from James' grandparents, and are very grateful. No problems were known the 2 weeks we had it in Maine before we left on our big adventure. So we set off on our journey cross the country. We got about as far as New York City, when James felt our front brakes sticking and a strange smell, and off course we were in a traffic jam and the last exit avaliable before the bridge, thank goodness. So he pulls off and does the "work" on the van and we set off again. We cross the bridge safely and journey on... about 30 minutes later that same smell occurs pull over and do the "work" and off again. No problems in site for a while. We arrived in Texas at 3:30 AM what a great time... Spend time with my sister and her boys which are just so precious. And on Wednesday we wake up and its the day to get the marriage license, a very important day... we get to the courthouse when James dares to say, "I think the callipers are sticking again" not something I wanted to hear. So we park it and thank goodness for cell phones and sisters. Jelaina came to our rescue and was our taxi driver for a bit. Needless to say we got our car fixed with the help of many, Joe Mac, Dad, James' Dad and his brothers( more for moral support). That was the night before our wedding so I was for sure stressed out and deprived of the sleep I probably should have gotten. Next morning, as usual, running late, and arrived at the temple 30 minutes past the time we were suppose to arrive. We had a beautiful experience in the temple with our loved ones around us. We headed back to my parents house for a reception. Which was also amazing thanks to my family, Tara, Kristie, Aunt Lanie, Jelaina and my parents. When people are starting to leave James proceeds to go outside to find... no other than a flat tire on our van... so he fixes our vehicle once again with the same men around him with the addition of one or two more. And off to our hotel for the night just to get a good nights rest so we can wake up bright and early to fix that wonderful tire. Walmart here we come... Fixed the tire, Piled my junk from the storage unit, Jelainas and my parents, and off we went to Albuquerque to see my sister Jen, Joel, and my precious Peyton. On our way to New Mexico we discovered we couldnt drive over 60 without our van shaking tremendously. So we arrive in Albuquerque stay up with the fam until four, just to wake up and run to take bridal portraits and balance the van. While taking my portraits with Jen, we get joking texts from my wonderful brother-in-law with more problems on the van... but he was partly truthful we ended up having to replace our back tires completly. Then we went to Chinle Arizona to spend time with the Simeonas James' second family from his mission as well as stopping in at the Murrays. Stayed the night so we didnt drive through the reservation that night and then off to Utah, to have a small reception with the Blakes and friends from Utah. No problems have yet to arise with our van. Thank goodness, it finished its journey loaded down and got us to our wonderful apartment in Rexburg.

We love our apartment it is so cute. And we have a wonderful mini temple known as our stake center that we meet in across the street. We have settled ourselves in and enjoyed being married. We love having James' brother, Ben and his wife Katelynd, just down the street and have spent some time with them. Life so far has been good to us (as well as our van). We have been married a week today, and have had a blast moving into our apartment and making it a home. School starts on the 8th so we will see how married life carries on then, but I think we will be able to balance it well.

We are very grateful for everyone who has done anything for us in this past week. We love you all, and will try to keep you informed and updated on what is happening here in Idaho.

Married Life

Well we have been married for a week now, YAY! Its so nice here in Rexburg. We love our apartment it it nice and so cute. And we absolutley love the our mini temple known as our stake center across the street. Im telling you guys its huge!! Bigger than the Dallas temple, crazy. Anyways, our apartment is nice and Rexburg is still the same, with some addition of the mini temple across the street and the mini Colliseum they are building on campus.

Being married to James is so wonderful, he is willing to do whatever task I have assigned him and enjoys helping cook and clean, which definetly is a plus, and everyone is probably nodding their heads, its only been a week you just wait... haha! We are so happy to be married and be able to enjoy this new step in our lives together, I couldnt ask for more. We have also enjoyed spending time with James brother, Ben and his wife Katelynd they dont live far at all, its nice to have a couple to hang out with so close. Last night we had a small game night, and had a blast with the our little Blake Get Together... which Im sure there will be many more.

First Post

Well this is our very first post. I decided that we should start this whole blog thing and join the blog world, mainly for our families and friends, since we will be a distance from them most of the time. We are getting married in 16 days in the Dallas, Texas Temple and cant wait for that day. We have been dating for over a year now, and its been a great year! I cant wait to be Mrs. James Blake,( and I think James feels the same way ;)). So to say the least we are very excited to be getting married and starting our family this year, even though it will be just the two of us for a few years, we hope...

We are so grateful for our families, especially for raising us to be the young woman and man that we are today, and raising us in the gospel, and giving James the opporutnity to serve a mission, so that we could come together this year in the temple to be sealed as a family for time and all eternity. I especially want to thank the Blakes for all that they have done for me, including their son James. He is a super gentlemen and couldnt ask for more. I want to thank my family for the young lady they have molded me to be. They have giving me more than the luxuries in life and I appreciate that, they have given me love, support, and LOTS of advice and I thank them. I only hope that my children can feel that love and support from me.
Until the next post...
Love,
The (future) Blakes