6 years + 7 moves...

February is a big month for Chris and I...it is Valentine's Day but also our anniversary month so we usually plan a trip or vacation of some kind. It is fun to make plans for February because it is such a cold gray month in Rochester. It made me think of years past and what we did for anniversaries and where we lived. So here we go..... 6 years and 7 moves!

Ah! This is where it all began. in a converted garage, with a park in the backyard and within walking distance of BYU campus. How cute!




900 east and center street in Provo, Utah. Poor Chris had an hour + commute to work from this tiny apartment but we were happy. We enjoyed movies in the loft where you could barely sit up and loved the silly, crazy group of single ladies next door. They were actually quite dumb.

Next was the sowell's beautiful house on osmond lane. I graduated from college there, we enjoyed a place for family to come and visit, hosted many dinners and enjoyed the views of Provo.




That was a sad, sad day to say goodbye. I cried and cried as I walked into our new house to find dirty dishes in the sink and food still on the kitchen table! Ah! We loved our few months in trhe sowell homeand very much appreciated their generosity and letting us house sit.






Before we left for graduate school, we house sat at this little place. same ward, off of 900 east. we painted, planted flowers, had a garage sale and tried to dream of what Rochester was like since we had never seen or visited there.


Imperial South was our first apartment in Rochester. We moved here sight unseen and were very pleased with the management and neighbors, especially old Leo who sat and watched us carry all of our boxes in as he asked questions about the agriculture of wyoming. It was close to school and so clean. We stayed there until we graduated-two years later. But we did enjoy moving within the same complex because our sublease came up and there was an opening for a two bedroom just on the corner. Ah! Another move.


Elmwood Ave

We met our very favorite people in the whole world right across the street...the gardner family. chris and i feel in love with their 2 now 3 little kiddos. We were right around the corner from the stake center which was super convenient. Plus Highland Park was just up the street -the sight of many walks, runs and the Lilac Festival every year.


Webster, NY
Chris got a job out in Webster at Xerox so I quit mine and he enjoyed a 5 minute travel with lunches at home often! That last about a year and a half and we found our house.





Irondequoit, NY

Our first home and we moved in almost two years ago. And I plan to be here longer than any other--please!!! Except I think I am the one who gets the itch to move on and do something new.

anthropologie

Anthropologie is coming to Rochester, NY

I am so thrilled!!

Chris is a little nervous for the outcome because i love it so much.

Dear winter...and word of the year

I have such a hard time after Christmas and New Year's are over. The winter really sets in, it gets dark at 4:45 and the snow does not stop falling. Upstate NY just looks grey and dead!

So it has given me a chance to stay warm inside with a good book, a fire and lots of evenings not running errands or fun outside but time to organize, declutter my house and life. And set some really good goals for the year!

CHOOSE

I love this idea of picking a word that will cover the year....it will help me set new goals and create a new direction for me this year.

choose.....really stuck out to me. I love the word because:

1) I want to be control of how my time is spent. What activities I do and how my life is run. Sometimes I feel like time is just slipping through my fingers and I want to make the most of every day. One of my favorite scriptures comes from D&C 64:33 "Where be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of smalls things proceedth that which is great."

2) We have our free agency a gift from our Heavenly Father to choose what life we will live and who we will become

3) Our attitudes have so much to do with how things turn out. I can wake up each day and choose to be happy, choose to live the gospel and choose to follow the commandments of God

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." ~Joshua 24:15

"Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life." ~2 Nephi 10:23

This year I will CHOOSE to be positive, choose to spend my time on things that have real value and worth, to be engaged in meaningful work and service, to give more, to be happy were I am at in life right now, to have more confidence, to be happy with the way I look, to be wise with our money and to love life.

I feel like this will really be a good one.

Christmas Day

Chris and I slept in while the kids opened all their Santa gifts; he really found us all the way up there! And then had breakfast and finished the presents.

Everyone spent the day sledding, skiing, snowmobiling and ate a turkey cooked in a dutch oven with stuffing. seriously good.

Penelope loved sledding!


That night a bonfire with roasted chestnuts and s'mores



mom + girls~love that picture


cute~love that little squinting face! we miss you!!


I miss the whole gang. We had a lot of fun and our little upstate NY house sure is quiet! Cannot wait until next time.




The night before we came out we got a new foot of snow which made finding the trail a little more fun but the weather was gorgeous and cold...we took two.... kinda three trips out with one machine broken, one out of gas and made it to church on time.

Christmas at the Lodge

I guess this is how you do Christmas in Wyoming!


This was the second group in with Amy and her boys and james, chelsea and tobin...james and my dad made a gear trip in the day before anyone went in. ah! All those Christmas presents...

I had forgotten what 18 below feels like when you walk outside.


some stayed in the lodge, we stayed in #6 and millers in #7 which was super nice with warm water and all the food.... Fun!

Christmas Eve

The Polar Express

we cut our own tree which ended up being enormous- almost reaching the ceiling in the lodge


Bread Bowls with broccoli cheddar soup


The Nativity: favorite quote of the trip-- "Penelope, what were you in the natvity? I was Cinderalla!! (notice she is actually Mary-the mother of Jesus)... Love her!!


12 years ago we had christmas at the cabins and made candle holders for our tree and my mom found them so the tree was lite by small b-day candles. It set a great mood to the evening.

Holiday Traditions

The Faerber's have a lot of holiday traditions and this year we added A homemade Christmas as well as being at the Lodge!

The last time we were together for Christmas we tried to do something traditional from each family (in laws included)! Four years ago we took a fabulous trip in the International around Lander singing and pointing out pretty lights. That was quite a sight I am sure. The we went to a Christmas Eve service at the local church and sang songs. That was a highlight. Chris' family always talked into a recorder about the past year and sang some songs. So four years ago we did that as well. Too funny!

I grew up doing things like reading the Polar Express, baking yummy treats like sugar cookies and pecan logs, reading Luke 2 and then acting out the nativity; perhaps a little irreverant but always fun! Broccoli cheddar soup with bread bowls on Christmas Eve. This Christmas it seemed we were all a little busy packing and planning for the lodge but we did manage to get a few traditions in there.

And we had to start early!


Growing up we were never allowed to open presents early.... But this year we had to open some presents early because of the difficulty in travel. No complaints! It kinds stretched Christmas out for days. We just kept opening things. And this Christmas was such a fun one we might have to make this a new tradition!

It was great to make something simple for each family and to see how unique all the gifts were and talented all my family is. I really enjoyed this new tradition!

Where did December go?

I guess to travel and holiday fun.

We had the best time in Utah and Wyoming. It was a busy trip. We started in Utah for the Packer wedding!

Friday night were the bachelor parties so we all made it to temple square to see the gorgeouslights.....then the boys saw avatar and the girls went out to eat.

Katie and Jameson got married on Saturday-here is the whole gang!!

It was all quite the party week in Utah!!

We stayed with Gloria and had a party for Holly with her boyfriend Craigy......they are too cute together. And we saw the whole Faerber crowd. Then off to Wyoming.