Winter Break - Utah!

On December 23rd we loaded up the truck with too much stuff and the little ones and headed to vacation! Our first stop was Emmett Idaho to drop off Mitch and Winter with my in-laws. It was my first time to visit their new place and of course got a tour. The next day Randy made a batch of cinnamon rolls and then we drove south to spend some time with my family in Utah. (We found out later that Mitch stole 2 of them off the baking sheet when everyone was outside- naughty dog!) About a half hour after we arrived everyone went over to the Redfords' for dinner and funny Christmas games. It felt good to laugh and laugh. I heard new stories from my parents about silly things they did when they were growing up. Afterwards, Dad read us the Christmas story from Luke 2.

Christmas morning involved eating cinnamon rolls, fruit, orange rolls, opening presents, and playing games. That evening we went to the Grubbard's for a family party on my Mom's side. My cousins are starting to leave Utah and move across the country, but luckily most of them were there and I was able to visit with them for a bit.

Friday morning my entire family went to the Ogden temple. I think this is the first time for all 7 of us to be in the temple at the same time. Jason, Ashley, Randy, and Dad did baptisms while Mom, Chantel, and I did initiatories. It is always wonderful to spend time in the House of the Lord. That afternoon we raced Go-Karts with my Uncle Spencer and my cousins Ethan and Elizabeth. I was nervous at first about how fast I could take the corners, but once we got going I had a blast! Randy finished first and I finished third. That evening Mom and I went to Kohls for a bit of shopping to look for clothes suitable for fourth year. We found a bunch of blouses on sale and left the store only spending 15$! Deseret Industries some times has good clothes for cheap and we needed some White Elephant gifts for the Sheets Christmas Party so we went there next. I found a brand new pair of dress pants from Nordstrom that still had the original tags on them that fit me! The original price was $188, but I got them for $20!

Saturday we drove up to Hareware Ranch for a wagon ride. The Ranch is run by the Division of Natural Resources and is an Elk Feeding ground. In the summer they hay a bunch of meadows and in the winter they feed that hay to the elk with horse and wagon. We took a 15 minute ride through the elk and learned a bit more about their program. I was happy to hear they do some disease surveillance.  That evening my dear friend Maria, Randy and I took the Frontrunner to Salt Lake City to see the lights at temple square. The lights are incredible - there are literally millions of them! We had a grand time visiting and drinking amazing hot chocolate.

Sunday evening we had a party at my parents house for the Sheets side. I enjoyed catching up with my family. We did a White Elephant exchange and had a bundle of laughs. I ended up with fettuccine noodles and Randy stole "In Case of Emergency Break Glass" frame with a chocolate bar.

Monday morning came and it was time to head back to Emmett to spend time with Randy's family. We stopped for lunch at a little cafe called Upper Crust that Randy found while working in the Burley area.

Ramblings (A lot of them)

Last week my dad and Grandpa Sheets came for a day to put on our new roof! And just in time since the rain just keeps coming. This was the first time Grandpa has been to our house. I was able to show him around school and he thought Mitch and Winter were hilarious.

I attended a lunch lecture this last week about equine infectious diseases worldwide and what is being  done to try to halt disease from spreading. One of my professors traveled to Ethiopia last year for a conference on this subject. Many people make their living using cart horses to transport anything they can find - people, bricks, construction materials, food, etc. Most of these horses are slim and some are very thin. The owners do not have the funds to pay for vaccines, routine health care, commercially made tack (they make saddles, bits, bridles out of whatever they can find), or proper hoof care let alone well built homes. They are living on less then $2 per day. There are several outreach groups that are providing treatment, vaccines, and education free of charge to the owners of these horses. This presentation reminded me just how much I have to be thankful for. I have never known want, I have never gone hungry for more then a few hours, I have clean water, a warm place to call home, a sewer system that works, animals that are companions, a wonderful education, the gospel of Jesus Christ, a loving husband, strong family support, good friends- what on earth could I possibly complain about???? What more could I possibly want or need?

I am humiliated to say that I can come up with more. This week Randy was offered a job working for University of Idaho working with Sage Grouse in a similar area to where he was earlier this year. So once again, my Randy is leaving me. I know I should be grateful that he continually acquires field jobs that will hopefully allow him to find a full time permanent job or get into graduate school. I am one of the lucky girls in my class that gets to live with her husband for 6 to 7 months a year, and not only see him for a few days during breaks for the 4 years.  But I am so tired to being left. I want to start a family, but I'm not sure if that will ever be possible with us constantly living apart and me going to school or work full time (since I have racked up quite a debt load). I am so tired of being hopeful that something is going to work out to have it come crashing down. I am tired of not being excited about what I am learning. This semester has beaten me up and spit me back out again. It has made me question why did I ever want this to begin with. What is it that is so wonderful about vet med that is worth all of this effort and sacrifice? The song 'Done' by The Band Perry is a near perfect description about how I feel about this semester.  

Then there is actual clinical practice of vet med. I probably read too many blog posts about how difficult it is to be a vet and a normal human being. 'You can never please anyone' seems to be the biggest complaint. Clients blaming you for only caring about the money, working late every day of the week and weekends, not having time to properly care for a family, the list goes on. Since I haven't made it there yet, I can't say I have had these experiences, but they don't seem too outrageous. I realize I don't want to work overnights, weekends, or emergencies all the time. Does that make me a bad/lazy veterinarian? I don't want my kids raised in day care.  This would be much easier if I didn't go to vet school. Then we could go where ever Randy got a job, I could stay home and raise our family. But for some reason I was strongly prompted to apply for vet school at WSU. As Randy won't let me forget, I am supposed to be here. I thought I knew why, but now I am not so sure. I can't see why Heavenly Father would ask me to do something that 'seems' to go against what I have been taught. I can't see how it is possible to be a good wife, mother, friend, daughter, veterinarian, and pay off my student loans. There does not seem to be enough time to do all those things well.

My sweet Randy keeps reminding me there is a reason, that everything will work out, don't give up, and to remain faithful. A blogpost from Veterinarians Behaving Badly, has become one of my favorites. It is formatted as a letter to a new grad and if you want to read it you can find it here. The author says 'Focus on the animals... remember you will have limitations... our profession rocks... you are a healer... do not let this job take over your life...'. Slowly I may be able to find my passion for vet med. Hopefully spending time with family and not cramming for exams will give allow my exhausted brain to find my reason why.

Thanksgiving Break 2014

I can't believe Thanksgiving Break is already finished? Where did my 7 days of freedom go? Oh well, its back to the grindstone again tomorrow.

This break was much more eventful then I would have liked. The first weekend of break, I attempted to go to Utah to see my talented sister Ashley star in the musical 'The Drowsy Chaperone'. She is a senior this year and I really wanted to see her last high school show. I drove up to Spokane Saturday afternoon knowing there were plenty of seats on the plane only to arrive to find out that weather changes caused a bunch of people to be switched to my flight and alas I did not get on. I was disappointed I didn't get to see Ashley perform.

Monday it started to rain and it just wouldn't quit. Tuesday we woke up to more rain and water dripping from the ceiling in the kitchen. I had decided to study that morning but once we noticed the leaky ceiling that plan was moved the very back burner. I spent several hours trying to find a solution.  I was able to get a hold of a roofer who took a look and said the best and permeant fix would be very expensive. Needless to say this was not welcome news. I felt I could not handle another major thing going wrong.

My wonderful dad was able to find a solution and ordered the material that night. My parents and brother came for Thanksgiving and to fix the roof, but the material did not arrive while they were here.

Now for the Blessings

Before I headed home from the airport that Saturday, I went to World Market and picked up some delicious sparkling fruit juices for Thanksgiving dinner and some yummy scone mixes. That night our friend Bryan came over for a game night.

We had lunch with our friends Becky and Brandon on Tuesday. They have the coolest one-eyed snuggly cat whom I got to care for this last weekend.

I studied for a grand total of 5 hours (maybe)

My parents and brother came up here for Thanksgiving!!!! We carried on last year's tradition of stir fry and pumpkin pie. My dad is just incredible. While he was here he installed a fan in the bathroom, replaced both rear brakes on my car, patched the roof to hold out the water until the new roof arrives, and prepped the house to put on the new roof. Another blessing is it was supposed to rain or snow Thursday night until Saturday night, but the moisture didn't come until 15 minutes after my dad and Randy patched the roof Friday afternoon! We played board games, watched 'Interstellar' and 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels', ate lots of good food, watch Winter and Mitch be their goofy selves, took Mitch on a walk, and I got to visit with my incredible mother who also brought her video camera so I was able to watch a few scenes of Ashley's play. It was so nice to have our home full of family.

My family's flight got delayed out of Spokane so we got to spend 2 extra hours with them- lunch at Red Robin and exploring the Riverfront Mall. After we dropped off my family at the airport Randy and I headed to the Spokane Temple. I know I have said this before, but I just love going to the temple. I love the feeling of peace that enters my heart and calms my inter storms. My thinking is much clearer and the important things in life are obvious. Answers to questions come and assurance that God cares is evident.

The sun came out for the first time all weekend = squinty eyes

I love serving the children at church in Primary. They are so full of goodness and joy. Right now I am waiting for dough to rise (I meant to make rolls Friday, but forgot) and later tonight Bryan and Rebecca are coming over to play games.

Life is far from perfect, and some days are painful, but life is good.

Break Time

I survived 15 exams in 10 weeks! I am proud of myself for sticking with school. This semester has been a beast. This is the hardest thing I have ever done school wise. Fall semester second year was hard but the constant rate of exams took vet school to an entire new level. It feels so good knowing what I accomplished and even better to know I have 2 weeks without and exam! I congratulated myself with working out for the first time in a long time, getting little projects accomplished and catching up on all the classes I have missed from studying for exams. I can't believe after Thanksgiving break there is only 2 weeks until finals! 

In Times of Trouble

A scripture story that I cling to in times of trouble comes from Mosiah 23 and 24  in the Book of Mormon.  The story is about a group of people have joined the church of God and had to flee from their homes or be killed.  They are doing their best to start a new city to build a life for themselves. 

Mosiah 23:21 "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people: yea, he trieth their patience and their faith"

Then their long time enemies who are called the Lamanities come to their new city. "But Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be frightened but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would deliver them. Therefore they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord that he would soften the hearts of the Lamanites, and they would spare them, and their wives, and their children." (Mosiah 23:27-28) The Christian people have not done anything wrong, but yet God wanted to try their faith and see if they would be faithful in the face of trial.

The Lamanites enslave the Christians and give them heavy burdens to carry. They also threaten to kill anyone who prayed vocally. The faithful people prayed within their hearts. God heard and answered their prayer. (Mosiah 24:13) "And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God do visit my people in their afflictions". 

My faith is strengthened by the people's response to the Lord and that the Lord kept His promise. "And now it came to pass that the burdens which which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bare up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" (Mosiah 24:15).

Later the people are freed. 

From this story I learn that sometimes trials come not because I have done anything wrong, but that I need learn something and strengthen my faith. The Lamanites that enslaved the Christians can represent a wide variety of things- loss of a job, sickness, depression, or lost opportunities. God did not immediately save them from their trial, instead He gave them the strength to bear it. I have felt strengthened by God while Randy was away. Its difficult to describe the feeling, it felt as if someone was helping me carry all the responsibility and loneliness that came with Randy being away.
As with the Christians in the story, God always provides a way to escape trials. Sometimes it can take a long time to appear, but it always comes. I can follow the example of those faithful Christians and turn to God in times of trouble instead of turning away. 

Chantel Came Home!

Last weekend Randy and I flew down to Utah to spend some much needed time with my sister Chantel who just returned from serving a mission in Peru for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Friday night my family spent together bowling, playing mini golf, and driving bumper cars. It was wonderful to be all together again for the first time in 18 months. Spending time with family is refreshing for the tired soul.

First hug!

Saturday, Mom, Dad, Chantel, Randy and I went to the Bountiful temple to perform sealings. It was special to be able spend time in that holy house with my family serving as proxies to bind families together forever and for all eternity who have already passed. I was able to reflect on our wedding day and the promises we made and the blessings that God promises us in return if we keep the commandments. It was another reminder that very little actually matters in the grand scheme, but family, love, service, and obedience to God are the things that do.

Afterwards Randy and I headed down to Salt Lake City to visit with Zane, one of Randy's old roommates. That evening we took family pictures and my best friend Brittany was the photographer! I am so excited to see how they turned out!!! There are some silly ones for sure. That evening was a cousin party for my mom's side. We had some good laughs and ate a lot of yummy food.

Cousins! 

Sunday Chantel gave her homecoming talk in church. She did a beautiful job describing and sharing experiences she had that have touched her life for good and things she has learned. Afterwards family and friends meet at my parents house for food and visiting. I was able to see another best friend Maria.
Some how a lot of friends from Florida have ended up in Utah. It was strange having a Florida reunion in Hooper Utah.

People we love from Florida

That night Chantel shared more of her stories and pictures. The love she has for the people of Peru is overflowing. We also convinced my dad to read part of the book he wrote on his time in the Air Force. My dad doesn't share much about what went on during the first 20 years of my life so it was special to hear him share those experiences. I wish we could have stayed longer, but alas our life in Pullman was beckoning to come back to take exams, to go to work, and continue to live life.

Sisters reunited

Is It Worth It?

Sometimes I wonder, is it worth it? Is all the struggle, pain, and effort worth the end goal? What is the end goal?

This semester has been particularly challenging for me and many of my classmates. The material is not more difficult then I expected. It stems more from the attitudes and perceptions of a few of our professors, a couple difficult exams, and the constant rat race of hurry up and study for the next test (I have at least one exam every week until the end of the semester). Instead of being excited to finally learn the 'cool stuff', I feel as though my passion for vetmed is smothered.

There are days when this is compounded by personal struggles. Feeling like God doesn't seem to care about me. Why won't He answer my prayers? Why can't things go smoothly? Why are we still facing the same challenge we faced 4 years ago? Why do those we love get sick? Why do our goals seem unattainable? Why do I feel like I'm not enough? Why are hearts broken? Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do some loose their way? Why do we suffer from loneliness?

Why do all of these things happen?

It is so easy to get sucked into this way of thinking. It is so easy to think that this world is full of darkness and despair.

It seems the only way to get out this way of thinking is to remember the REAL reason why we are here. We are here on Earth to be tested and tried, to see if we will choose good over evil, to see if we will look for the light in the darkness, to see if we will choose to serve others and not focus on ourselves, to see if we will keep God's commandments. In essence, we are here to learn to become like God.

With this perspective, things become more clear. I realize that it does not matter what happens to me or my family in life - it does not matter if Randy or I do not ever attain our dream job, it does not matter if we get sick, the trials themselves do not matter. What does matter is how we respond to the challenge. It is our response to the challenge that shapes us, forms us, molds us into who we will be. Without challenges we don't change. Forces such as pressure, heat, friction, and time are all required for us to shed our old selves and become something better, brighter, and fuller.

Elder Russell M. Nelson said, "When you leave this frail existence, what you have become will matter most. Attributes such as "faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility (and) diligence" (D&C4:6) will all be weighed in the Lord's balance". 

We admire people who have suffered and' came off conqueror' who refused to give in or quit. People like George Washington, Mother Theresa, my own grandma Kay who has suffered from a variety of health challenges but still gives all that she has to helping her children and grandchildren and hundreds of other people. These and more became the inspirational people they are because how they responded to trials. 

Today I was reading in Philippians chapter 4 which says, " And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".  I can not control the actions of others, in fact there is very little I can control. I do have control over my faith in Christ, our Heavenly Father, and how I will respond to a call to become more. I can trust that if I have faith, keep the commandments, endure to the end, show kindness to all, and do all I can to further the work of salvation and to achieve my goals - God will make up the rest. He will not let me or anyone else who is sincerely trying fail.

God does love us. He cares about us. He wants us to be happy and return to live with Him. 

So yes, it is worth it! It is worth it to keep trying, to keep inching forward, to get up each time you fall down. Life is worth while and beautiful. 

Beauty can be found anywhere if we will just look for it. 

Things Our Little Ones Have Taught Me

Our lives have been richly blessed by these two animals. They have brought comfort and liveliness to me while my sweetheart was away for 5 months. They are a reminder to not focus so much on myself but to look outward to those around me. 

Lessons from Mitch. 

Before coming to live with us, Mitch moved between multiple homes, shelters, and even a prison. 

Despite being abandoned and constantly being moved around, he is a kind loyal soul. 

1. Every day is exciting

2. Love those around you

3. Enjoy the simple things like a good head scratch, a walk, or a treat

4. Don't forget about the ones you love 

5.  Don't back down from your standards but be a friend to everyone 

Lessons from Winter

I have learned a lot from this sassy kitten that I pulled out crying from under the house

1. With a strong will to live anything is possible

2. It is possible to be unreasonable stubborn

3. Little acts of kindness can make a world of difference

4. Morning cuddles are the best way to start the day

5. Never tire of exploring the world around you

These two don't like to be apart. 

Sabbath Day

I am so grateful for Sundays. The the craziness that is my life, I would not last long without my weekly day of rest. I was taught since I was small to keep the Sabbath day holy and to make it a special day. A day do worship God, to serve others, and to rest from daily cares. To the surprise of some of my classmates, I take Sundays off from studying. This is a personal decision that has blessed my life immensely. 

Some of my favorite things to do on Sundays include

Attending church 

Making an actual meal that is more then cheese quesodillas 

Taking Mitch on a walk 

Studying scriptures 

Reading something that is not about diarrhea, blood, diseases or antibiotics 

Watching videos on lds.org 

Chatting with my mother-in-law

Skyping with my family

Making treats

Visiting friends 

Indexing  

Emailing my sister who is on a mission in Peru (she comes home next month!) 

Spending time with Randy that's not interrupted by school

Sitting quietly and thinking about the way my life is headed and what I want to change

This looks like a busy day but I can't tell you how nice it is to focus on my relationship with God, my family, my dear friends and taking a short break from the rushing around I do the other 6 days. 

Crazy first 3 weeks!

This has been a crazy first three weeks of class. I was on surgery block = test first day of school, 2 oral exams, spaying a dog, super late nights, super early mornings, lots of taking pulse, respiration rate, temperatures, mucous membranes, hydration, attitude measurements. I learned a bunch and got to work with some classmates that I didn't know that well before hand. They are two incredible ladies who worked hard and got the job done right.

I don't think I would have had any food, clean clothes, or happy animals without Randy. I pretty much neglected him, Mitch, and Winter for the three weeks. My incredible husband never complained about me going so long or never doing the dishes or making dinner or contributing to the house hold in any way. The only complaint was I smelled funny- like a hospital.

Yesterday we did the first exciting activity since we went to Tri-Cities. We were invited by some friends to go shotgun shooting. A bunch of vet students were there and we had a great time sitting on tail gates, wandering on top of the hill, watching a beautiful sunset, shooting clay pigeons, and making new friends. It has been at least 4 years since I have gone shooting so my aim was pretty terrible (not that it has ever been good), but I did shatter one!

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day morning we headed over to the Tri-Cities area for a day trip adventure. I have driven through there a few times on my way to Portland, but didn't know much more about it then that. Neither of us have smart phones nor do we have a GPS unit so it made the trip much more exciting. Our first stop was a 9/11 memorial. 

The memorial is made of twisted metal from the Two Towers. 

After spending a few reflective minutes remembering the day that changed our country and the lives of millions (including my own) we headed over to Bob's Burgers and Brew for lunch. The food was delicious and the servings were huge! I wanted to see the Columbia River Temple while we were there but we didn't know how to get there. Luckily my brilliant husband thought to bring the Ipad. So headed over the the closest McDonald's parking lot and used some free wi-fi to get directions. We used this trick a couple times to maneuver around the cities. 

The temple was beautiful but unfortunately the gates were locked for landscaping so we couldn't wander around the gardens. Hopefully, we can come again and spend a little more time here. :) 

Our next stop was an outlet mall. We got there and 75% of the mall was empty. All that was left was a collage and a gym, so all we did was drive around the parking lot. 

Our last stop was Country Mercantile. Its an awesome market. They have tons of different types of jams, salsas, jerky, candy, ice cream, burgers, an incredible produce section with the biggest sweetest peaches I have ever tasted. The best part was the chocolate section- caramels, chocolate covered Oreos, peanut butter and chocolate, tons of different kinds of truffles, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, swirled chocolate, and Randy's favorite- the black widow (the ones with the red dot) which is a concoction of Oreos, dark chocolate, and caramel.  My favorite was Oreos, milk chocolate and mint (the ones with the green dots)! 

It was refreshing to get away just the two of us for a day. Next time I want to walk down by the river and go to the temple. :) 

Simple Things

I wanted to be sure to record some of the simple things Randy and I enjoy doing together at this stage of our lives. In no particular order-

Going grocery shopping together

Wandering through used book stores

Going to the temple

Playing with the animals

Sitting in the living room and talking for hours about anything and everything 

Going out to eat

Dairy Queen Blizzards (mint oreo for me and oreo for Randy)

Playing board games 

Planning 

Serving others

Sharing interesting articles with each other 

Geocaching

Hiking

24th Birthday

My sweet Randy did an awesome job for my birthday. He got up early with me and spoiled me with a yummy breakfast of bacon and waffles. I worked about a half a day at WADDL and my wonderful coworker surprised me with brownies, ice cream, and cookies and a Winter cat inspired card at 8:30 in the morning. Randy told me he had planned something for the day but wouldn't tell me what it was. That afternoon we toured the Appaloosa Horse Museum in Moscow which is somewhere I have always wanted to go. Afterwards we headed the Arboretum at the University of Idaho. It was beautiful! We almost had the place to ourselves. The park is divided by continents and it was cool to see what native plants there are in different parts of the world. I want to go back in the fall to see the leaves change colors.

After we explored the many different parts of the arboretum we headed to game shop and then to Wendy's to 'waste' a little time and enjoy some chocolate Frosties because it was so hot and we didn't spend quite as much time at the arboretum as Randy had intended. Once we were a bit refreshed we went to the mall and did some people watching when suddenly Randy said it was time to go. We drove across the parking lot to Sangrias, one of my favorite restaurants. To my surprise Brooklin and Brett were waiting for us at a table. Brooklin had decorated the booth with a happy birthday sign, helium balloons, a table cloth along with beads for everyone to wear. I also got a leis and giant star sunglasses. 

After dinner we headed back to our house to play games. I walked in the door and the ceiling was covered in streamers and star dangily things and another happy birthday sign. Brooklin had come over while we were out and decorated. I loved it! Growing up we always decorated the house with streamers for birthdays. Brooklin and Brett stayed over until about 1 am! We were having too much fun visiting and eating a delicious jello cake that Randy had made to go to bed early. It was an awesome day. Thanks Dear for taking such good care of me! 

Wish I had a better picture of the incredible streamers! 

  

Fly Fishing

Our 3 year anniversary is tomorrow! It has been an incredible journey so far and I am looking forward to millions more! To celebrate Randy, Mitch, and I went fly fishing for small mouth bass yesterday with Lorraine, my boss from WADDL. This was the first time we have fished together as a couple. We got up early and headed south to a smaller river off the Snake River. It was beautiful and we had the place to ourselves!

We spent all day at this spot. I caught 3 fish and had a bunch of bites. Randy caught the first fish of the day and a whole bunch more. To make up for it I caught the biggest fish of the day. I also learned that the dorsal fins are spiny and how to 'lip' a bass.

Mitch loved it! He ran up and down the bank. I would turn around and he would be taking himself for a swim up the river as if he had some where very important to be. Lorraine showed him a couple fish and he thought that was the greatest thing in the world. He caught two of them in his mouth! Its a good thing he knows the command Drop It! After Lorraine would let the fish go he would swim around looking for it or would intently watch her waiting for the fish to come back. It was hilarious how intent he was on finding the fish.

While we were fishing an osprey flew around a few times and landed near by. Randy got a few cool pictures, just wish the power lines weren't in the way, but his facial expressions were pretty sweet. 

By the end of the day we were super tired but we had a great time. My wonderful boss treated us to Fazzari's pizza for dinner.  It was a blessing to be able to go on this trip. I wasn't sure what we were going to do for our anniversary. I wanted to do something special but as poor collage students anything too fancy was out of our budget. This was perfect! We spent a day together learning new skills, spent the entire time outside, Mitch got to come and all it cost was our time and two day fishing licences. 

We are already starting to plan our next fishing trip. Hopefully my schedule will allow us to go again before the end of the year.