We have had an exciting start to 2012. We made a goal for January that we could only buy food and gas for the whole month. We each got $3.50 to spend a week for date night or random stuff. It was a pretty fun challenge. I liked having to be creative with our date nights and I liked the way our bank account looked at the end of January :) some of our dates were just homemade dinner and a redbox, which was perfect! I think we'll try that challenge again when the weather is better.

Zeus!
We just love that little guy! He is so much fun to have around, and he has actually gotten trained pretty quick. He is the best at fetch and loves to cuddle with you in the blankets. I take him everywhere with me. I love having a little buddy to run errands and to play with me when I'm home alone. :) Brad will tell you he doesn't love him, but this picture says otherwise...

In January Buffalo Wild Wings opened their first restaurant in Utah. Brad was beyond excited!! We of course had to go the during the first month they were open, so we hopped in the car with some friends and drove to Lehi to enjoy delicious food! There was a Jazz game on which made it even more exciting!

He is one happy boy

For Christmas Brad got me tickets to go see Brad Paisley in concert!! January 27 was the big day! I was so giddy and excited the entire day! Scotty McCreery and The Band Perry were the opening acts and I have to say it was the best concert I have ever been to! Brad played for 2 hours straight! That man sure knows how to put on a show! And he is so funny, he was cracking jokes all night, and my brad was even laughing at them. It was one of the best dates I have been on and I'm so happy Brad came with me!

Our boots!

Brad Paisley!...I'm pretty sure he was serenading me right then. :)

The Band Perry!

Scotty McCreery!

We got a PUPPY!

On New Years eve Brad and I added a new member to our family
Meet Zeus

He is the cutest little thing! He is a yorkie chihuahua mix but he really just looks like a yorkie. He is so playful and fun! He is 8 weeks and 2.8 pounds and so loveable! We are learning how to raise/train a puppy which is a very exciting adventure.

Winter Break Activities

School ended and Brad and I have enjoyed spending all of our time together and not having to worry about homework and tests. :) We looked at the lights at temple square, we've played lots and lots of games with our family, we made TONS of peppermint bark and delivered it to our neighbors, we've stayed up late watching movies and laughing...so far it has been a wonderful break!
Christmas lights at temple square

Brad made me laugh really hard while I was brushing my teeth

On Christmas eve we spent the night at Brad's parents house. It was a lot of fun, the boys played halo and the girls caught up on girl talk. Christmas morning came and we jumped around from his family to my family, we are lucky they live so close. Brad had a "mans" christmas and received manly stuff consisting of tools, a dutch oven and an air compressor...he was one happy man! I had a "homemaker" christmas and got lots of stuff for the house-a new paper cutter, a hot chocolate maker, a food processor! I'm so excited to use them all.

My family always draws names for the siblings and this year we decided to do homemade gifts under $10 for each other. This was Brad's gift from Holli and Jeff. We really love it! :)

Brad and I did our own little Christmas with each other on Christmas Eve. We wanted to be able to open gifts from each other and take time to enjoy them without being rushed. I got Brad a new drill, he was like a little kid when he opened it...he couldn't contain his excitement. It was cute

Brad got me Brad Paisley tickets for Christmas!!! I think I was even more excited about the tickets than he was about the drill! The concert is January 27th and I can hardly wait! Definitely the best Christmas present! :)

Our Christmas Pajamas

While we have had all this extra time, Brad and I have been keeping ourselves busy with projects. I spent a lot of the break making homemade christmas gifts, baking and cooking. It has been so much fun! I can't wait until I'm done with school and I can do that stuff all the time.

Brad and his brother and dad have decided to make remote control boats! So he has spent the break working on that. he is getting ready to put the motor in it. The boat is almost 4 feet long and pretty awesome!

Finals are HERE

  Finals are here, which means lots of late nights like this...

 and plenty of this...

My day with Brad

Well Wednesday was my birthday...I turned the big 2-3! I know, I can't believe it either. Brad did a really good job of making sure I had the best day ever! The night before my birthday he took me to pick out our Christmas tree! I LOVE Christmas and I love to make a big deal of it, so it meant a lot to me that he took me to get our tree after he had a long day at work. It was so fun picking it, we found the perfect one, and they even had hot chocolate (my favorite) for us while we looked. It was like a scene from a movie :) We got it home and I thought he was just going to set it up and we'd decorate it another time because it was late, but he let us decorate it that night. I was so excited! The next day I had to work, but it was ok because work bought lunch and made me a card, they are pretty great! When I got done with work and  walked in our house Brad had all the christmas lights on and the house was clean :) my mother and sister-in-law came over and set up this cute happy birthday banner with balloons and then took me to get a pedicure! It was so fun, and definitely needed :) After pedicures Brad let me open my presents...he got me a sewing machine!! I am so excited, and was so surprised! I can't wait to get done with school so I can get started on some projects! :) Brad took me to Benihana's for dinner! I have wanted to go there for awhile and I'm glad we finally got to go. It was delicious! And so fun to watch them cook in front of us. After dinner he took me to the Festival of Trees! I loved it, they had some really beautiful trees this year. After all of the festivities we went home and had some delicious birthday brownies that cute Brad baked for me! He really is the best husband.It was a wonderful day, I loved getting cards and birthday texts from my family and friends. Thanks babe for making it special for me! I love you.

Birthday dinner at benihana's

My Sewing Machine!!

Homemade birthday brownies mmmm

Our tree! Brad named it Cleveland...cleveland the tree

Our weekend

Brad and I had a great weekend together. On Friday he took me on a "hot date." We went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen mmmmm and then to a movie. We haven't been to a movie in the theaters together for a long time. It was fun to get out of the house and spend time just the 2 of us. On Saturday after Brad got off work we had a Twilight Movie Marathon...yes thats right, we watched 3 movies for a total of 6 hours of non stop Twilight. We want to go see the new one and we hadn't seen the other ones so we figured we should do it all in one day :) Brad won't admit to it, but he likes those movies. He was very excited when Edward and Bella kissed. On Sunday we had some of my family over for dinner. It's fun to have people come over to our house. :)

Last weekend Brad had a boys night and I had a girls night. We went down to gateway and had dinner and saw Footloose...then we went DANCING! It was so fun to hang out with all my friends and talk about girl stuff and just be silly together, the time just flew by, and before I knew it it was 1:00 am! And I know Brad had a blast with his friends. They ate pizza and played poker and I'm sure they were out of control. I came home to find soda cans and 5 empty boxes of pizza in our kitchen. :) I'm glad they had a good time.

Nicole, Emma, Traci, Me, Kari

This is Brad's latest look...don't worry, it didn't last long. I'm sure you can understand why.