Dos Anos

Today marks the two year wedding anniversary for me and Dan. Two years! Time sure does fly by when you're in love! :) So tonight I'm feeling a little nostalgic about our wedding day.





December 21, 2007 was the best day of my life. Now I get to spend time and all eternity with this stud! Back off ladies, he's all mine!

Dirty Dogs and Dirt Bikes

Yesterday was officially Doggie Bath Day at Casa de Curtis which is quite the ordeal. First Moto gets bathed because he's done in about 5 minutes. Then I have to prep the bathroom for Lola's bath because she's huge. Her bath takes about 20 minutes. Then there's cleaning up the mess in the bathroom afterwards, which takes about 15 minutes. It was all worthwhile because having dogs that don't smell like B.O. is PRICELESS. Then last night Dan and I went to a car race/dirt bike jump show put on by the Metal Mulisha. We froze our nalgas off out there but it was fun! The best part was the finale dirt bike jump show. These guys are crazy!

A Year of Reflection

Exactly one year ago today I lost a dear friend of mine in a car accident. Nych was only 21 when he died and his death shocked everyone who knew him.

I knew Nych from 3rd grade and he and I had remained friends into our adulthood. We had so many memories together from going on school trips together in elementary school, playing in the orchestra together in middle school, and just being goofy in high school. Pretty much all of my memories of Nych from high school make me laugh out loud when I think about them now. He was a huge ball of energy and could always, always make you laugh. He wasn't always a jokester, though, he was a sweetheart as well. I remember my senior year of high school when I was an office aide for my 1st period class he didn't have a first period so he would come to school early just to hang out with me in the office. Then, he would walk me to class just to make sure I wasn't walking alone.

Perhaps one of the most meaningful memories I have with Nych was when he came and danced with me at my wedding. We hadn't seen each other very often after high school but whenever we did he would always make it seem like it had been no time at all and would greet me with a HUGE bear hug and talk to me just like an old friend. I specificallly remember him coming to dance with me during the dollar dance at my reception and he had this giant, loving smile on his face then gave me a huge hug and told me how happy he was for me. I never thought that a year later he would be gone. I think about him and miss him everyday, but I am forever grateful for all of the memories I have to remember him.

Nych, you will be forever missed but you are always in my heart.

Rattlesnakes in our Yard?!?!

I was about to let Lola outside a few minutes ago and I got a feeling that I should look outside on the patio, just to make sure the light was on and everything was okay. Well, I saw something that at first I thought was a large stick on the mat right outside our sliding glass door...but it wasn't a stick. It was a rattlesnake!!! So I slammed the door shut, screamed then yelled, "DAN! THERE'S A SNAKE!" So he came running to my rescue and we looked at the dang thing through the glass. He wasn't very old; he only had two rattles. Long story short, the snake is gone and hopefully he has no siblings or even worse, a mama, hangin' around in our yard. I hate snakes...

Dune Season Has Begun

Halloween weekend commenced the beginning of dune season for the Curtis family. Dan and I loaded up our truck which I lovingly refer to as Shaq Diesel and probably gave an entertaining show to the neighbors as it was only the two of us loading a quad and dirt bike into the back of the truck. Dan is a pro at it but me, I had no clue what to do. But, we got it all in, threw the dog in with us for his first road trip, and headed out to the dunes.

Dan didn't want to waste any dune time by spraying the dirt off his dirt bike at home so at our first stop for diesel he made good use of the gas station squeegee and gave it a last-minute wash. :) What a little innovator!

This was the first dune trip that the boys (Tyler, Dan, Blake) were able to bring their new dirt bikes. Here they are anxiously awaiting the morning ride.

And here are the lovely girls of the weekend - Kristina, Me, Sherrida, Lillian.

Blake, Tyler, and Dan, my Arab husband...haha. These boys get along so well, it's amazing.

Jessie getting ready to take her little green car, Esmerelda (sp?) for a spin.

Dan was kind and patient enough to take me out for a little ride, just the two of us. I don't really know how to ride a quad in the dunes very well yet so he takes me out to the "little dunes" so I can get in some practice time.

Doesn't he look good?! People like to give him a hard time for being a "little guy" riding a big bike, but let me tell you, he can handle that thing like a pro! So talk all you want! haha.

You know, sometimes I put up a fight about going to the dunes and not being able to get anything done while I'm away, but this weekend was just what I needed. Things have been SUPER busy lately between work, callings, Dan's midterms, housework, etc. that it was a perfect get away from the everyday grind. And Moto behaved himself pretty well, too, minus the growling and snarling at anyone who made a noise in the morning. He's not a morning dog, I guess. :) Here's to happy duning!

Happy Birthday, Twins!

These ladies are A-W-E-S-O-M-E! We had a fantastic time celebrating their birthday at the Tequila Factory with delicious food and fun company. What the heck would I do without these two wonderful women in my life? My mom has been such a powerful example of what it means to be a strong woman and has shown me how to be able to be independent and goal-oriented. She's the one that pushed me to get to where I am today and I am so thankful. One thing I love about our relationship is that we always, ALWAYS end our phone conversations with "I love you" even if we're mad at each other! I love my mama!

And my Jannie has always been like my second mom. She spent so much time with me when I was kid and always let me do such fun things with her like paint clay pots, stamp up a storm, and cook! When I was a kid I loved "helping" (more like watching) Jannie cook dinner. She has inspired me to learn how to cook and I must say, my cooking skills are progressing. Thank goodness!

I'm so glad these two are in my life. I love you both!

Weekend Update

Sometimes I feel like I live for the weekends. Last week was one such week where I seemed to be counting down the hours until I had actual free time. Here's what my weekend consisted of. You may not find it exciting but sometimes this is all I need to become refreshed and ready to get back to Monday morning and living the crazy, busy life.

1. I got off work 2 hours early Friday to go get my hair done and spend two hours with one of my most favorite people ever. Love her!!
2. I went shopping. A must for having a good weekend.
3. I got to attend the General Relief Society meeting with the woman that inspires me the most, my mama of course.
4. I learned that if you stick my dog Moto under the water in the shower, he swims. Cutest thing ever!
5. I'm finally starting to feel comfortable in my new calling and am very thankful for the amazing ladies and fun girls to serve with.

It's early to say, but this week is going better than last. But hey, you can always look forward to the weekend, right?

Football, New Callings, and the Great Outdoors

Our lives, sadly, have not been very exciting lately. School and work and church are pretty much all we do. So you can imagine our excitement to have a 3-day weekend to ourselves to do whatever we want!

First, we went to the first U of A football game of the season with the Dyckman's. Although the Cats won, the 45 minute delay of game due to lightning strikes in the area and THIS GUY were probably the highlights.

So it looks like he decided to paint his whole head and ran out of blue paint? Regardless, this guy was C-R-A-Z-Y. Thank goodness he was like 5 rows down from us. Here are some prettier pictures.




Then, on Sunday Dan and I were released from the Nursery and I was called as the Young Women's secretary and Dan had previously been called as the Stake Sunday School secretary. We're both secretaries! Fun, fun!

And Monday, Dan decided to take me on a hike because I always complain that I want to go hiking. Well, the little hike we did was tons of fun but considering that was only my second hike, EVER, I was a little worn out. We did get in a little game of pine cone baseball which was hilarious! I'm sure everyone on Mt. Lemmon heard me laughing at Dan trying to hit the pine cones I was throwing at him. Hehe.







All in all it was a great weekend and hopefully it won't be another month before I have fun stuff to post. I'll leave you with a few rock 'n roll pics!

Three of a Kind

Enough said.

Off to the Races, Kentucky Derby Style

Okay so it was more like off to a housewarming party with a Kentucky Derby theme. Dan and I went looking for a giant fancy hat for me to wear and we could not find one anywhere. So, my husband the artist had a brilliant idea to make me a hat. We went to Michael's and he picked out all the stuff and put together this lovely hat for me! He's good! I loved it and everyone at the party loved it. They were impressed with Dan's hat-designing skills. :-)




We went to Skylar's 10th Birthday party after the housewarming party and spent the evening eating pizza and playing Taboo with the birthday girl! If you've never played that game you should try it! You'll love it. Some infamous quotes of the night developed because of that game. Haha.

Our House Has Gone to the Dogs

We have a new furry, four-legged friend in our home. We just couldn't help but to fall in love with this little guy. Welcome, Moto, the new rat terrier puppy of the house! Lola seems to like him quite a bit. We think she thinks she's his mama. She will clean him like he's her pup and will go lay down by him when he's napping on the floor. They also like to play tug of war with their lion stuffed animals and she is so gentle with him. We're working on potty training and kennel training and he is doing as well as an 8-week old puppy can do. He's definitely a ball of energy and a very loving companion.


Meet Moto Curtis



New Friends


A Friendly Game of Tug of War

No Place Like Home

For America's Birthday Dan and I took a little quad & dirt bike ride (after much needed sleeping in) and once again, got a little mud on the tires. It had rained ALL night Friday night so there were plenty of mud puddles to ride and splash through. Somehow I'm the only one that got muddy...oh well, it was tons of fun and I must say, what better celebrates this nation than some good ol' off-roading? ;-) Then we spent the rest of the day with family, bbq at Aunt Jannie's then more bbq at Dan's parents' house. Yay for the 4th of July! All kidding aside, I just want to say that I love the USA. I have had the privilege to travel outside the U.S. and although the places were nice, there's no place like home.

Pre-mud

The Pro

Mud Freckles

And Then There Were None...

Kids left in Mama & Papa Curtis' house, that is! The littlest duckling got married this past weekend, making Don & Jesse empty-nesters (and party animals? hehe). We drove up to Snowflake on Friday to attend the sealing of the lovebirds and it was so nice on many accounts. Nice to get away from brown Tucson to green Northern AZ, nice to spend some alone-time with my husband (long car trips together can lead to some good conversations), nice to be around family and friends, and most importantly it was nice to be able to watch Lillie and Blake become an eternal family and be reminded of how important that is. I am so happy for these two. They really are perfect for each other. And something happens when a girl puts on a wedding dress that immediately transforms her into a regal, radiant woman. Lillian looked gorgeous. Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Fish!

Shh I'm Awake

Hi again! Since I am minutes away from bed time (early mornings are rough!), this will just be a quick post to let you all know that I am still here and I have not fallen off the face of the earth. ;-) I started my new job last week and it's going well. I have A LOT of training and learning ahead of me but I am up for the challenge and I'm really excited to be working for this company. It's pretty cool walking through the halls looking at all the sweet pictures of these big time missiles that defend our country. Dan would be in H-E-A-V-E-N (he watches the Military channel every chance he gets!). My doggie is still recovering from her surgery but I think she's doing pretty well. She's supposed to be "down" for 6 weeks which means little to no physical activity, but it's so hard when she wants to play. I just try to keep her down as much as possible but I know she's bored and it makes me sad. I am so going to be one of those moms that gives in to my kids' sad faces and lets them have what they want! Haha. Well now it's 15 minutes past my 9:00 bed time so I gotta scoot! I hope to have some fun in my life soon so I can do a fun post. ;-)

P.S. As ridiculous as a 9:00 bed time sounds, I wish it were 8:00 but can't bring myself to get in bed that early. Although last week I did go to sleep at 8:30 one night. LOL

P.P.S. or P.S.S. (whatever) Does anyone watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey? I'm officially obsessed. Just curious.

A Bittersweet Time

Well, I did it. I graduated from the U of A with my degree in Business Management. I almost quit a few times along the way but I am so glad I stuck it out and came out with my bachelor's degree. I only attended the graduation ceremony for the business school rather than the big university wide ceremony and it was really nice. Here are a few pics.

This woman is my inspiration. She helped push me to go to college and finish my degree. I love you Mama!

We had a little party for me on Saturday night at our house and it turned out to be pretty fun. I got some nice gifts and lots of gift cards so I can build my closet with professional business attire.

These girls are my favorites!

Opening presents.

The loot.

I'm happy that school is over and that I have some time off before starting my new job. It's been quite a rough time ever since graduation.

One of my cousins, Celia, passed away Saturday. It is so sad to lose her. Although there was a large age difference between us, she was always there to support me. She was a great mother to her children as well as a loving daughter, sister, wife, niece, aunt, and teacher. She will be greatly missed but it is comforting that she is part of an eternal family. It is times like these that make me so thankful for the plan of salvation and the opportunity we have to be sealed to our families forever.

I've had a few health problems myself recently. I spent all day yesterday in the Emergency Room because I nearly passed out in the shower yesterday and was extremely dehydated from having stomach flu. I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and had to be pumped full of IVs to re-hydrate my body. I was so dehydrated that my veins had flattened out and my blood was dark purple. They could barely get it out of me to run a blood test. My mom and Dan stayed with me there all day and I'm so glad they were there at my side. It was not a good day.

My dog had her surgery on her leg to put in a nylon piece in her knee to hold her bones together and keep them from sliding. She has a large incision wound and can't get around very well so she and I are just staying home being sick and weak together. Hopefully the future gets brighter from here. I'm optimistic about it.

Let's Go Back in Time

At work I saw the date 12/21/1987 and this is where my brain went:

• That was exactly 20 years before Dan and I got married!
• I wonder what I was doing that day (I was only 6 months old)?
• I wonder what it would be like to go back in time and watch that day, just because it was exactly 20 years before I got married?
• I wonder what Dan did that day?

Wouldn't that be so cool to go back in time and see what you were doing on a specific day long ago? Call me crazy but this fascinates me.

Gotta Get A Little Mud on the Tires

Small disclaimer: If you read my sister-in-law Kristina's blog you may get a slight double dose of the same story, so my apologies.

Saturday night Dan went with his bro Tyler and their friends Scotty, Shauna, and Gary to ride their new dirt bikes on a real dirt track and Kristina and I hung back and decided to go later since we knew the boys would stay until they closed the place down. So we just chilled at my house for awhile then took off across town to go watch our guys...what an adventure we had! First we were about 2 minutes away from getting to the exit for the track when the boys called and asked if we could bring them food. We're loving wives so of course we turned around and stopped at the closest thing we could find which was an A&W inside a gas station which obviously didn't employ the most hygienic employees. The guy making our food was a) not wearing gloves and b) hacking up a lung, so I was convinced we were all going to get the dang swine flu. (I'm happy to report none of us have it so far.) We headed back toward the track and due to some poor directions we were given, we ended up lost and going about 5 miles in the wrong direction. We finally got some good directions and started out again. We found the track! But I turned into what appeared to be the parking lot and ended up being a dead end so I drove around in circles until I found my way out again (it was really dark way out there ok?!). We finally made it!

Kristina and me after a long car ride

I got out of the car to see that my man was sporting my pink riding gear. I aptly named him "The Pink Danther." I don't actually ride, I'm barely learning how to ride a quad but we found all this pink gear at Play it Again Sports and it was super cheap so we got it for me, but Dan and I are basically the same size so it can work for him too, as long as he doesn't mind wearing pink.

It was fun getting to see the guys go crazy and do what they love to do even if it took Kristina and me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to make it there. It was a fun night and well worth the adventure.

Quick Update on Us:

I'm in my final days of school and am trying to not go crazy with all the junk I have to get done during this short period of time. After my last final on May 14th my college career will officially be over and I don't think I could be more excited. If you know me you know that school is definitely not my favorite thing but I have worked my butt off to end with a solid GPA and I will be starting a new career with Raytheon Missile Systems here in Tucson. I am really excited to begin this new chapter in my life and more than anything, I am anxiously awaiting nights with no homework!!!

Dan is currently in Las Vegas for work. He and his dad were doing a job there this morning but those lucky ducks are riding the roller coasters of Vegas tonight. I'm so jealous!