our BIG news!

A lot of people already know, but last week Reese accepted an offer to work at Merrill Lynch in Los Angeles! I am so proud of him for working so hard to provide for our future family! I am also happy he got the job he wanted, he deserves it! We are so excited for this new chapter in our lives. Reese's first official day of work will be June 17th, and his office is located in Century City. It's in the upper right area of the map here :) And yes, that blue in the lower left hand corner is the OCEAN!!!

Here is a picture of what it looks like in real life!

I can't believe we are moving to a big city to a place where we hardly know anyone, I'm totally scared! Our families and friends have been so supportive and excited for us, I truly appreciate that. Because it helps me be excited! I am looking forward to our families visiting, going to the beach, and obviously Disneyland! We have started to look at apartments, and that is a project! We want to be close to Reese's work and hopefully get an apartment about the same size as the one we have now. We also want a bathroom that looks normal, hahah! No pink showers or blue tile or fuzzy toilets, EW! I have such a weird thing with bathrooms!! :)

 If you have any advice on how to survive in Southern California please share! We need it! :) Hahah

We are both so grateful to have this opportunity. Everyday we understand more and more how we are so truly blessed! If it wasn't for prayer, fasting, and the temple, this decision wouldn't have been easy. I know that the Lord wants us to be there! It will be a huge adventure!

Don't read this if your sick of politics, I had to.

So I have too many friends "threatening" to unfriend me on facebook if I post anything political but I figured I couldn't fit my feelings into a status anyways. Here are 5 truths regarding Obama's socialism that I do not believe this years voters understood:


1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

Now, how is this supposed to improve our country? Someone please explain because I want to understand. I'm serious.

I was surprised when I woke up this morning feeling hurt, angry, and bitter. I didn't realize this would require time and healing. I thought that if I did my part to vote, which I did, that I had done all I could and the rest was out of my control and I wouldn't be upset if it didn't work out for my candidate. I was wrong. I have never supported a candidate as I have Mitt Romney, and I don't believe I will ever support anyone else in that way again. I am realizing that I don't live in the America that I thought I did. 


I have read so many articles and statuses today proclaiming how the "Republicans need to get out of the way" and how "Republicans need to relax and take a chill pill". Do we really expect them to sit back and be okay with anything that comes their way when they have had such strong ideas seared into their minds for years? I'm sorry, but the vote was 50-50. There are so many people out there today who are genuinely hurting, and in order to come together as a nation there needs to be some respect shown. We are praying for, and supporting our president. But do not ask us to forget what we just finished fighting for. 

I am tired of people telling me "you just voted for Romney because he is Mormon." Part of being mormon means you live with a set of beliefs that guide your life and your decisions. In my opinion, I think voting for Mitt Romney partly because he is a mormon should not be looked down on. If you are mormon and you find that Mitt Romney cares about the same things you do partly because he is mormon as well, then why wouldn't you support him? Didn't we all look for candidates with whom we shared viewpoints? All I'm saying is it is a better reason to vote for someone than basing it off ethnicity.

Last thing I wanted to rant about is voter turnout. I am so disgusted with those people who couldn't find 10 minutes in two weeks to get off their butts and go to the polls. I don't care who you are voting for, but do not abuse the rights that people like both of my grandpa's fought and died for by not finding enough time to vote. 

FALL semester, the last one

Being a Vegas girl, I had never really experienced a true "fall" until I came to Utah to go to school. Of the things I dislike about Provo, the fall season isn't one of them. This particular item actually falls into my very short list of "loves" concerning Provo. Fall in Provo is so authentic and that is why I love it. Every year of school, I have enjoyed Fall Semester the most. It's hard not to be happy when it is so beautiful outside.

Another great thing about this Fall Semester is the fact that my brother Wesley is here at school with me. Since he is leaving on his mission at the end of December, he is only going one semester. I don't know how I am going to survive without him and his meal plan! Haha just kidding, but seriously he feeds me twice a week and its like I'm a freshman all over again. I also haven't been as homesick this semester as I have been in the past, and it really is because there is a piece of home here with me! I am so happy he has been here and we have been able to spend time together before his mission in Uganda.

Lately I've been really busy going to school but I have had the wonderful opportunity to start babysitting my cousins twice a week to give my aunt a chance to go to the store and run errands etc. I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH! My aunt is such a patient, sweet, beautiful mother and I seriously wish I could be her clone! I brought my littlest cousin (she is just barely two years old) to my house for about thirty minutes the other day. I thought my house was baby-proofed but she put it to the test! I failed miserably! I thought it was hilarious, she did too. Also, I am amazed at how much she can eat. In those thirty minutes she depeleted my fruit supply to almost nothing. That girl is a machine. And also happens to be in like the, lowest 10% of her age group in the weight category. Which actually works out nicely for me when I get to carry her around :)! Anyways, its been so fun spending time with them and learning how kids respond to different things. I love them and I can't wait to have my own someday!

And last but not least, I have had so much fun with mu husband this semester! It's different as we are transitioning into our own family and developing our own traditions but still being part of our two families. I just really love spending time with him and learning and growing together, which is what we do every day! We have been praying and fasting to know where to go after we graduate (April 2013 wooo) and we have developed a sure knowledge of the hand of God in our lives. I am grateful to be in a marriage were he is just as much a part of it as we both are.

And on a completely separate but totally related note, Reese and I got iphone's this semester! As you can see this has greatly improved the photographing of my life seeing as how 92.3% of the pictures in the post were taken on my new mobile device (I just calculated that number on my phone, it's just so so horribly convenient). It was a splurge, but at least we are loving them! Yolo right? Seriously I love that phrase. Usually in 1 of 2 situations. Let me give an example:

1) Should I eat that massive piece of double chocolate cake? Yolo.
2) Whoa! Watch your step, don't forget, yolo. 

 I'm going to be that lady still using it in 2020 when it beyond out! Whatever. Yolo. And to end this blog post I will add a picture of what I really truly want for Christmas (this picture doesn't contribute to the percentage posted above by the way);

bloody udders

Hey guys, it's been awhile! It's been awhile. So I told my mother-in-law a story the other day and she told me that it needed to go on my blog. I am a people pleaser, as you all know. I also love telling stories. So here we go.

Every year we have a massive family reunion. I'm talking my grandpa's siblings and all their kids and all their kids kids. Needless to say we come from all walks of life, one branch of the Howlett family lives in Delta, UT and are all out country people! They do rodeo, they farm, they wear cowboy hats, they do it all. Since it is hard for them to leave the farm, we all go to them. Every year we rent out a huge facility for "mancamp". Its great.

So this year, in an attempt to culture all us "city folk" it was proposed that we all go and learn how to milk a cow. We loaded into our SUV's and I brought my 5 year old cousin with me (who is a huge milk drinker- Vitamin D I might add). On the way there I was talking the experience up to her saying things like "You know how you love drinking milk?! We are going to go see where it comes from! We are going to go see how we get milk! Are you so excited?!" So I got her pretty pumped up about this "milking a cow" thing.  First mistake.

We get there and there is my whole family gathered around this cow. The cow was in a clam-like cage that held her in place so you can get milk safely, I've seen these before. It was very clear when we got there that the cow was not used to this. See, this cow had been borrowed from a neighboring dairy farm where they are milked by machines, usually with one or less people around. Now here was this cow surrounded by about 50 people reaching their hands out to its utters and staring into its eyes. To make things worse, on its way over from the dairy farm the cow had leaped over a fence and scraped a few of its udders. Which were now bleeding! The cow was salivating so heavily that there was a pool of spit in the dirt in front of it. The cow was clearly having a freaking panic attack!

Regardless, we continued with our lesson. At the start, one family member went a little to close to the cow and it went to its knees and flung saliva all over our band of spectators.  My cousins who touched the udders walked away with cow blood on their palms, a badge that they had actually done it haha! I was standing in the back observing this scene thinking about how long it would be before I could drink milk again. Then I see my uncle shoot milk from the udder of the cow, straight into my brothers wide open mouth! I almost puked! I heard my 5 year old cousin say "I don't like this!" and I instantly felt terrible for ruining her image of milk for the rest of her life.

Coming away from this experience I have learned some things. I belong in the city. I don't want to know where half of my food comes from. My family should never milk another cow. And finally, the phrase I have added to my daily vocabulary "Oh my bloody udders".

As far as my milk drinking goes, its been awhile!

One Year Anniversary!

On Monday we celebrated our first wedding anniversary! A couple months ago we decided we wanted to go to the Mandalay Bay (a resort here in Las Vegas) for the day. Since we are "locals" we got 20% off our room, which we were happy with! When we went to check in, Reese casually mentioned that we were locals and that we were celebrating our anniversary. We were immediately upgraded to the PENTHOUSE SUITE! We were so stoked. Here are some pictures of the room from Reese's iphone:

This was on the "special elevator" on the way up.

I LOVE the necklace Reese got me :)

This bedroom was so big!

Another room with a big TV in it!

And the dining room with the beautiful view!

Needless to say we were lucky ducks! We felt so fancy! We saved our wedding cake and decided to go with tradition and partake of it on our anniversary. It was so disgusting. It tasted like the smell of a freezer. But it still looked pretty! I had forgotten we did the packed sugar crystals on the outside, which was GREAT if anyone is looking into creating a wedding cake haha! It was fun to have something from our wedding.

We took family pictures this week, and we got some for our anniversary. I am just so lazy about carrying around my camera now. Does anyone else ever leave their camera at home because they don't want to haul it around or constantly worry and monitor it? Because I do that pretty much daily. Thank goodness Reese has an iphone! 

This past year has been so good to us. Making the choice to get married was a big one and it brought a lot of changes to both of our lives. We have learned how to take care of each other this year and we have grown in so many ways. Looking forward to many more! 

its like technology...

I overheard something this week that was so interesting to me. It was in regard to a topic that the LDS church has a firm stance on. This is what I heard:

"Its like technology. When something new comes out there are always people who pick it up right away. Then there's the middle group who take a little while longer. Then there are the stragglers who take forever to get it. In 30 years the Mormons will change their policy. It will just take awhile."

In a moment like this, I take so much comfort in knowing that my religion is unchanging. In my opinion it is one of the most special things about my religion. The beliefs that my family and I hold are the same ones that the very first members of the church held to! Despite the fact that the LDS church was founded over a hundred years ago, the teachings are so pertinent to the modern day and continue to guide its members. I know that our leaders are truly inspired! I am so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dog-Sitters!!!

Over the weekend Reese and I were dog sitters for my out-of-town family members! We had SO MUCH FUN! We were both so enthralled by BELLA the Staffordshire Terrier! Is it weird it sort of felt like being parents for maybe two seconds? Anyways, I am ALSO super excited because I finally got my new lens! Its a 50 mm f/1.8. In English, its a really good lens for one focal point of clarity :). So I got acquainted with my lens while taking care of Bella, which resulted in some pictures I ended up liking! I would seriously follow her around the yard and the house-- she got really annoyed with me! Here are some of my first shots with my new lens! 

I feel like this lens fits my photography style and I am so excited to do more work with it! So many photographers have recommended that I get this lens, I think I made a good choice for a birthday gift!


On a separate note, I would like to thank my husband for letting me camera-stalk him:) We celebrated 10 months officially on Wednesday! I love when I can capture a photo that reflects exactly what my eyes see. Does that make sense? I got a couple pictures this weekend like that....

Now, a decision I have been debating over: To make a photography blog, or no?

Advice needed!

memorial day and grandpa reed

It's Memorial DAY! This year I feel so much more on this holiday than I ever have. I have worked at the Air Force ROTC office for the past year and have just begun to understand the sacrifice that military members make for our country. I am truly amazed by their commitment to the USA. As I have worked there and helped so many cadets commission and go on into active duty I find myself constantly thinking of my sweet Grandpa Reed.

 My grandpa was a bomber in the 418th squadron during World War II. As I have worked at the Air Force I find myself wishing I could see his paperwork and realize just what kind of a hero he was :). My grandpa never talked much about his experience with the war, only on rare occasions. During the last few years of his life he seemed to open up about it more, which I am glad because if he hadn't I never would have heard his story.

 My grandpa was seriously a tough guy. He farmed and raised four boys in his lifetime along with fighting in the second world war. He was really quiet all the time and I remember him having a sense of humor much like my dad's. I never saw him cry, except once. One night we were sitting in the kitchen, it was really late and it was just my grandpa and my mom and I. My grandpa started to talk about the war. He told us stories of how they would drop bombs and how one time their plane crashed in enemy territory and the horror he felt. He started to cry when he told us how terrible it was. How many people died. I had never in my life seen my grandpa so emotional, and I will never forget it.

 Fast forward to 2011, I took a history class in the fall and we talked about the World War's-- naturally. Our teacher decided to show us a video documenting some surviving veterans experiences and some actual footage from the war. In the video it showed towns being bombed (hard to think that those bombs could have been dropped by my grandpa) and soldiers being killed- by the dozens. They showed veterans telling their stories and I saw the same emotion in them that I had seen in my own grandfather. These were grown men who sat there shaking and crying as they told stories. They were all heroes, and I am so proud that my grandfather was among those who protected our freedoms.

 When my grandpa died I was heartbroken, I never got to say goodbye to him and it was so sudden that I wasn't prepared for it. I had never had anyone in my life die, he was the first one. I had a really hard time being okay with it. Just a few months after he died I was in the Sacred Grove and I had the strongest feeling that he was finally at peace. He didn't carry the horrors of the war with him any longer and he was happy. I am so grateful for my grandpa who did what he had to do. I know that he struggled in this life with memories and scars that the war left on him. How sweet to know that my grandpa is happy in heaven and that I will be able to see him again. I am so grateful for the gospel that it gives my grandpa the peace that he deserves. I am grateful we have a Savior who has felt the pain that we feel and he is there to buoy us up. I look forward to the day that I will be able to thank my grandpa in person for the sacrifices he made.

Calvin Reed, my grandpa, is on the top left

So I work at the ROTC office, which makes me practically military status? Not really, but they celebrated FAMILY DAY on Friday so I didn't have to go in to work! Even better, Reese didn't have to go to work either! YAY FAMILY DAY! It was so nice being able to spend time with Reese. I am just so grateful to be married to someone who treats me so wonderfully and who is so supportive and sweet. Reese braided my hair for me and it was awesome! I am so stoked to have discovered this talent of his! (I had to coach him a little bit but hey, I thought it looked great!)

Unfortunately we both have been a little sick this week, Reese more than me! I was feeling good until Friday night, I was running a fever and Reese had a cough. NO BUENO! We stayed in and watched the first "Iron Man" which was--- SO GOOD! I was hoping I would feel better because I had a 5k the next morning! Luckily we were able to sleep it off and I ran the race today! I didn't train for it so I didn't do as well as I would have hoped- but I still did pretty good! I was happy to get back out and running! Reese is so sweet for cheering me on :) I am so lucky! I just love weekends, and Family Day :)

using as few words as possible...

nothing like my sweet lv

So sometimes I realize that I use my blog to vent about things that are really bothering me, but then I worry that people will think I am a really negative person. So I usually type up a post and then delete it. NOT ANYMORE! This is my blog and I am going to use it to share all the things that I need to get out of me. Hahah that was freaky.

I hate the winter months. There are no fun holidays and it is cold and dreary! There are no long weekends and I am so pale! The only thing that makes these months bearable is cute winter clothing. I got some skinny jeans and boots in January which made February a little more exciting but other than that my wallet hasn't seemed to let me indulge.

Reese has been insanely busy this semester. He has been taking classes full time, working part time, interviewing and networking for internships, studying for the CFA, doing our calling, and taking care of me. (Believe me, that last one should not be taken lightly) Now that we are married, I feel stress when he does, I get nervous when he does, etc. This was a huge change between being engaged and married. (Not that I didn't before, but now it is just amplified about a billion percent!)

So it's been kind of crazy when you factor in my two jobs, going to school full time, starting my new major, starting an internship, keeping my house clean, doing laundry (seriously I know know how we create so much of it! It's like we already have 27 children), making meals, WORKING OUT (love/hate), doing our calling, etc.!

Luckily for me I have an amaaaaaazzziiinnnggggg Mom! She offered to fly me home this past weekend to unravel and maybe get a little less porcelain white. I was sure that Reese would eat only McDonald's if I left him without food so I made a vat of spaghetti to provide him with sustenance. He was so busy this weekend so it was the perfect time to go! He hardly missed me! (whatever I know he missed me, and maybe my food making) It's amazing what chocolate chip cookies and Disney Scene It can do for a person.


Lastly, my sweet Grandma Reed is staying at our house for a little while and I got to spend time with her this weekend. She is hilarious. She moves around the house so quietly I'm pretty sure they should name the next Cadillac the "Nelda" I love her soooo SOOO much!

Other thoughts in my brain:

-Reese accidentally got a baloney sandwich from Subway today. Who in the world produces baloney? (sorry I WON'T say bologna, that is as equally disgusting as the meat itself) Should be avoided.

-I was observing my families pet tortoises this weekend, yes, plural. I was feeding one of them a grape when I realized that it looked like a mini dinosaur. I was thinking about how scary it would be if one of them was really gargantuan, I would literally run for my life.

we survived WINTER!

Winter Semester has been dreaded and anticipated by us ever since last summer and now it's almost GONE! We have made some big decisions and have survived yet another winter here in Provo!

I'll start off with our biggest news, Reese has gotten an internship with an asset management firm in LAS VEGAS! We are so thrilled to be going HOME this summer! Reese and I are both the oldest in our families and we both miss being there for our siblings, we are so looking forward to spending time with our sweet siblings and parents. We are equally excited to get out of Utah and spend time together in Las Vegas, our hometown, where we got married, and perhaps our favorite place in the WORLD! We cannot wait, we LOVE this city!

Also big news, we are both graduating next APRIL! I know it is awhile away but we are just so excited to walk across the stage together and get our temporary fake diploma's from the almighty BYU. One more year!

Another piece of news is that Reese has signed up for the CFA exam, taking it June 2. So basically he will be going into hibernation for the next few months, but I know he will do great! He wakes up early and studies every day!

Another thing we are both looking forward to is my Bri's wedding in June, located in L.A.! I threw her a bridal shower this month and it was just so fun to have so many of my friends over and meet Bri's new family members. Bri has been my best friend since the day I met her on our first day at BYU and I am so thrilled to be part of her wedding and be there when she gets sealed to her sweetheart!

More than anything we are ever grateful for the gospel in our lives, and the many friends and family that we are blessed with!

instagram!

Twilight deserves an Oscar

This is the funniest youtube video I have seen in awhile. Ignore the expletive, I am officially renaming it "stuff people never say" WATCH IT!

my photography website! look at it!

This only took me a matter of hours.... and I was really confused but I DID IT! I'm proud of it! Check it out :)


http://www.megangphotography.com/

staycation...sike!

Okay for Christmas Reese's parents gave us one free night stay at the Hampton Inn in Salt Lake or Lehi and we were SO EXCITED to use it! So, we planned to go up on a 3 day weekend so we could maximize our time in Salt Lake City. We planned on staying Sunday night so we could go to the temple, and have lunch on Monday (No school!) So we got packed and on the freeway and started the drive!

As we were getting close to our exit, Trixie (our car) started making very bad noises. We made it off the exit and at the first traffic light she started to smoke! We were freaking out. But luckily our hotel was in sight! We got our little sweetie parked and as we were examining the damages, we noticed a belt hanging out the bottom of the engine! Now, here we were in UTAH on a SUNDAY night with a broken car! No one was open! So we started calling tow companies, mechanics, dealerships, etc. trying to figure out what to do.

Oddly enough this turned out to be one of the most fun nights we've spent together ever! We ran across the street to Burger King (obviously in starvation mode) and we were cracking up the whole time. We went hot tubbing and exploring in the hotel and enjoyed the luxury of TELEVISION!! Reese really enjoyed our "Continental Breakfast" and ate at least 3 plates full.

Dave the Tow Truck man, we love you. And we wish you the best in your endeavors to get married. I'm sorry I told you I thought you were 60 when you are only 58 after you said you look younger than your age. But you saved us, and we are forever grateful.

yes, that just happened

One year ago Reese and I went on our first date to a restaurant on Center Street called "Se Llama Peru" followed with Ice Skating at Seven Peaks and going to Utah Lake! We decided to re-enact our date exactly a year later. So we were stoked. We went to the restaurant and sat down in the SAME booth and in the SAME places! AHHH! When our waitress came, I quickly explained to her what we were doing and she looked at me expressionless and said "okay". WHAT! Oh, she didn't understand English. So Reese explained in Spanish. After dinner we realized that Seven Peaks was closed so we couldn't go ice skating! NOOO!! So instead we came home and re-caulked our bathroom. WHAT! Yes we did. We did that. AND Reese mounted a beautiful shelf in our office/closet/storage/laundry room! Catch him on the next episode of Last Man Standing, he'll be the one with the tool belt and caulk.