Logan...It's Ok

It's been a while since I posted an update, but such is how blogs seem to go, right?
Ok....where to start?
We've been in Logan for two whole months now. We saw the leaves turn red, then yellow, fall off the trees in massive piles on the streets, and today they're covered in two inches of snow. :) Today I walked home from work in the heaviest snowfall of the day...in a skirt. I was a snow-woman when I got home. It was cold!!

Robert is loving his classes and he really loves teaching. The other day we read one of Mom Heaton's letters from 1985, and Dad Heaton was trying to teach Robert how to say 'house' and 'kids' instead of 'home' and 'children.' :) He was born to be an English Professor! :) English is definitely his thing, and he's become known as the 'Theory Guy' among fellow grad students because he can name the different types of literary theory, when most people can just tell you about a few of them, let alone name them. I actually get to see him everyday, which is my favorite part. He's usually reading a book, or correcting papers, or eating, but I get to see him. I've read a 600+ page book in the last 2 weeks so I could sit with him. It was a good book, though. "The Third Thousand Years" by W. Cleon Skousen. I highly recommend it.

I was offered a job with the Honors Program shortly after I got here. I really enjoy working there....and I try to show up regularly. :) You laugh, but it's been true for the last month. I've been sick every since I got here! I missed one week, and almost made up my hours when my uncle passed away and I needed to take another day for his funeral. I've felt so bad for my supervisor, but nothing else could be done. Just a word to the wise: Never get Strepp and Staph infection, let alone at once. It's absolutely horrible!

We went to Provo last weekend and I so loved being back 'home.' I've missed it. I've missed all of our family and friends there. It was so nice to see everyone again.

Logan is slowly becoming 'home.' I was washing the dishes the other night, when I actually felt good enough to do it, and I was thinking about how much I missed Provo and it dawned on me that my situation could be compared to Lehi's family: brought out from a place where they were comfortable and had family and friends and jobs. I felt like saying "I want to go back to the way things were," but then I thought "That's what Laman and Lemuel always complained about and wanted." I've read that story enough times to know I don't want to be Laman and Lemuel! I don't want to go back when I have the opportunity to move forward and progress and I definitely don't want to be the one complaining all the time. I've stopped thinking that I want to turn around and go back to the way things were. I will take Logan by the horns, learn what I can, accept what it can give, and forge ahead. I might need a pep-talk here and there, but we'll make it.

The 'Graddest' Day Ever

It's finally here. The day we've been waiting almost two years for. (No, we're not having a baby. Sorry. We wish!) It's the first day of Grad school at Utah State University! I couldn't resist taking a picture.....ok maybe two....or four. :)

Isn't he cute? I was tempted to put a box of crayons and some glue in his backpack...but I resisted...

Robert started his orientation classes this week for his 'Graduate Instructorship.' He'll be the old 'freshy' teaching the younger 'freshies' how to write this semester. If he teaches them how 'to write good,' he'll get to teach some more next semester. (Are there enough unnecessary quotes in this entry to get onto the 'Blog of Unnecessary Quotes', Robert?).


I got to see Robert off on his first day of class and then drive back to Provo to work for one more week before I finally get to live in our apartment in Logan for good. I think I'll have had enough of camping for the summer after living out of a suitcase for three weeks....

We're excited....and a little scared.....but mostly excited. We'll really miss all of our family and friends in our beloved Provo. When we drove to Logan this last weekend, we went past Casa Dea, 'That House', Brookview, (You know, all the places we lived while attending BYU) on our way to the freeway. It brought back a lot of sweet memories. I hope we can make sweet memories like those in Logan. I don't think I'll ever love Logan as much as I love Provo, though...I think that town will have my heart forever.

And We're Off!

Hi guys!

It's official! We're going to Logan (to Utah State University)! Grandma Ella would say we're 'High Mucky-Mucks' now.

We finally heard the news on July 29th, and school starts August 24th. Phew!It was a lovely one week rush to find an apartment and get moved. We finally got an apartment on July 31st and moved all of our stuff in on August 1st. We had everything packed before we had an apartment and we packed and moved in 4 days! I'm still exhausted! We're still in Provo for two weeks, however, to work. We moved everything to Logan so we wouldn't have to pay rent for two apartments, since the one in Logan wouldn't pro-rate the rent. We call the third-floor construction zone of Joe and Bree's house 'home' for now. It's been fun, though. Their house is big enough everyone can find a space to be all alone if they need it, but we get to be together under the same roof again. Priya is also a crack-up, as usual, and it's been fun. Robert's Dad and sister, Emily, and her husband, Nate, are in town visiting, so we have a wonderful house-full for a week.

Some days I feel like we're stepping into the dark (two or three steps) and waiting for the light to show us where we're going, and I panic, but I know we'll be ok. Heavenly Father will take care of us as long as we are obedient. It's been an amazing faith-building experience, and I think my muscles are getting pretty sore, now. It's not over, though. We still have to find jobs. It will all work out. (That's what Robert keeps telling me. :) And he just better keep saying it!)

Anyway, we're off!

Where to start? Robert has applied to grad school at Utah State University in English. We weren't that surprised at the recent denials from the other schools. What can you say when you're 1 of 500 applicants trying to fill 1 of 8 available seats? We were not supposed to be there.

I like the Utah State alternative. Robert has decided to lean more about the rhetoric side of English and perhaps throw in a little technical writing to be a little more versatile. We had a fun time writing his letter for the application. 12 drafts! (Robert did 10 drafts on his own and I got to help on the last 2.) But I think the 12th one turned out pretty darn good. At least we really hope so... We won't know if we got in until sometime in July, and class starts August 24th! Yikes! None of that matters. We know we'll be able to get where we need to be and that the Lord takes care of his children. We just have to keep being obedient.

That reminds me of something I was thinking about the last couple of weeks. In fast and testimony meeting I wanted to get up and bear my testimony, but I just couldn't think of what to say. I guess the spirit of testimony just wasn't burning bright enough when Sacrament meeting started, even though I wanted to get up. Toward the end of the meeting, though, someone said something that gave me the push I wanted/needed, but the meeting was over so I couldn't get up.

However, I remembered that I get to bear my testimony almost every week to my primary girls. I love that opportunity. So I bore my testimony to them. What I wanted to say was about Joseph Smith. I have long marveled at Joseph Smith. My thoughts were directed to how he was a lowly farm boy with a third grade education and he became one of the greatest men to walk this earth. His capacity to 'do' was multiplied by leaps and bounds and he was molded into this incredible being. My testimony was that he was molded and became the man he is because of his willingness to be strictly obedient to the commands of God. He obeyed the plan given, the gospel. He accepted the Lord as his Master and he followed his every word. When the Lord commanded, he obeyed. This became the rule he lived by after he was chastised for losing the first 100 pages of the Book of Mormon. He obeyed, doubting nothing.

I want to be this way.

As I've been reading the D&C I've watched Joseph learn and stumble and be molded. I know I'm in the same process. I know I'll stumble. But I know it's possible. I'm grateful for the pattern the Lord has given me in Joseph Smith. Proof of what man can become if we follow the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well Worth the Wait

Valentine's Day came twice this year. Robert got one day and I got the other. Let me explain...

February 14th we awoke and rushed to a Stake Baptism; Robert had been asked to play the piano and I ended up leading the music. We got to share some of our talents, I guess, and I really enjoyed the blessing of seeing someone become a member of the church and receive the Holy Ghost. It's always a neat experience to see a baptism!
Then we decided since we were all dressed up we would go to the temple and do Sealings, being Valentine's Day and all, you know. That was a delightful experience on top of the baptism.

We dropped off some library books and checked out a couple more, being the book-worms we are, and picked up a birthday gift for a certain Valentine Baby that was turning 1.

We went to Priya's birthday party upstairs and got a kick out of the kids that had been invited. They were so funny! Priya chewed on the handles of the pom-poms we got her and baby David Quinones showed us some of his dance moves. :)

Then we took a nice long nap, ate dinner, and I gave Robert a pocket knife holder and some chocolates, and a card (a 'lovely' card, Robert says). He liked them. But, sadly, I found out that Robert's plans fell through. However, it meant we would get to have another Valentines Date....sometime.

Turns out, Robert snuck in his Valentines Date plans this Saturday, Feb. 21st. It was a wonderful, amazing day. I cut Robert's hair in the morning before he left for a meeting. He came back an hour late, but with 12 Red Roses in his hand! They were beautiful! And they didn't make me sneeze, or cry (well...a little, but not because I was allergic)!


Then we ate lunch and went to the BYU campus to look at an art exhibit by a former member of our ward. Sadly, the exhibit was closed so we'll have to go back. We snuck into the Bookstore and we visited our friend Jonathan in his Grad School lab since we were on campus. Then we ran a couple of other errands and went home.

Robert hurried to the back room and brought out a card and a gift. "Happy Feet" the movie. I've been wanting to see it. Little did I know that the movie could have been a clue to what was coming next. Robert went to the back room again and came out with our 'activity.' I guess this was the plan that had fallen through last Saturday because of long lines and other dilemmas. Robert bought a Ball Room Dancing Class DVD kit! I've been wanting to learn how to dance and I was too shy/scared to take a class while I was at BYU, which was rather dumb of me, I think.

We put in the DVD, cleared a 'dance floor' in our living room, and learned how to Cha Cha, or should I say 'Cha Cha Cha'? The instructor in the video was actually quite funny; we were surprised. It was a type of funny that I couldn't do justice in explaining, however.


We were Cha Cha-ing away when the doorbell rang. It was Jonathan....he was playing delivery-boy for Robert and brought our dinner from Cafe Rio (one of my favorites). Little did I know that when we went to "visit" Jonathan in his lab that Robert was slipping him cash. He's so sneaky. :) Robert lit a candle and we ate dinner. So 'Romantical!' We danced once more 'Cha Cha' before my feet we very un-happy with me, then we watched Happy Feet. It was cute.

It was so much more than I ever expected, (I'm happy and content with a card) not that I don't expect wonderful things from Robert, he's always doing wonderful things. Robert swept me off my feet, again. It was basically the "Best Date Ever," next to our first date, and....... well worth a wait.

I love you, Robert. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and, well....."you're my favorite."

No Time for Dinner

Robert came home from work and had a basketball game soon after. For some reason, I thought he should have dinner. :) But he said there was no time, and he didn't want to run on a full stomach. So he decided he'd just have dessert. So I made him a chocolate milkshake in a pitcher, using a hand blender. I was going to put it in a glass, but there was too much, and Robert was already going at it with a (large) wooden spoon before I even got a chance.

I had to take a picture to show how Robert eats ice cream. Robert loves ice cream. This would be dinner every night, if I didn't have a say. (In fact, I think it was dinner most nights when he was single.) :)

(Robert adds that he used to buy Creamies by the box. And that it's too bad that had to end.) :(

Here's pictures.

And the Best Girl Scout Around, Too

On a different occasion, I (the Robert) had a lady at work taking orders for Girl Scout cookies. This was problematic for me on several levels: 1) I didn't/don't have money for Girl Scout cookies; 2) I didn't/don't want to wait 6 weeks to get my cookies; 3) I didn't/don't want to pay $4.00 for . . . 8 cookies (not cool).

However, the situation was . . . solution-o-matic for me on a different level: I was sure I could find a recipe for such cookies on the Internet. Well. I did.

The first batch of cookies I decided to do was those known as Samoas or, alternatively, Caramel De-Lites. So. Um. I made them. Here's a picture.


Obviously, the project takes several steps, which included finding cookie-cutter-like devices as well as melting nearly expired caramels (and I never thought caramels could expire). In the end (though the hole's not too clear in the cell-phone picture), I cut the cookies out with the lid of a smallish spice container, and I cut the center holes out with the cap of a Sharpie marker. Alton Brown (a.k.a. "the Good Eats guy," says Beth) would be proud (or disgusted). (It was fun. Oh, and yummy.)

And, to make things fun, I brought some of the shortbread cookies upstairs for the fam to sample, saying that I was so excited to make my own Girl Scout cookies. They agreed that they were good, but Joe seemed unimpressed and called them "plain" (or something). Well, were they ever surprised when the next day — after the chocolate had cooled — I brought up the "real" cookies that I was excited about making. I think they were a bit more impressed, then.