An Update & An Announcement

I really need to get better at this blog thing. Now that Garrett and I have 5 friends actually looking at our blog I guess I had better update it more than once a month. Five friends doesn't mean high demand so updating twice a week would just be absurd. So I'm going to go with once a week to every two weeks...maybe...

So here is what has been happening in our lives lately. As of right now we are still in the bountiful land of Reno *cough* but will soon be getting the heck out of dodge (is that the right saying? I think I heard my mom say it once). This is where the announcement comes into play.

No, I am not pregnant. That is not the announcement. *Drumroll, please* On Saturday we are heading off to Des Moines, Iowa to sell for the second half of the summer. That's it. That's the grand news. It may not seem like that big of a deal to you but to us it is heaven sent.

Reno has been hard. The economy here is terrible. Every 1 in 23 homes is foreclosed. And the unemployment rate is 13%. Now that's a prime spot to be selling alarms, right? WRONG!

So we are definitely excited to be going to a new area and another part of the country. I have never been to Iowa before and am excited to see what it is all about. The most exciting part for me is that it is only 3 hours away from Nauvoo. I have never been there and am excited to see all the old church history sites.

Now that the announcement has been announced it is time for an update. Nothing much has changed here in Reno. Garrett still goes out each day, working hard and is doing awesome. He has averaged about 1 a day and it almost halfway to his summer goal! I am so proud of him. How hard it would be to go out each day and knock on doors and get rejected again and again. But when he gets that one sale it makes his time worth it.

I am still being selfish out here in Reno, doing whatever I want during the day. Usually this means I spend my morning with Garrett, kiss him goodbye to work, exercise, nap, clean and do some projects. However, this week that schedule has been altered.

As of today I am on the mend from a cold. Out of the blue I got the common cold and have been battling to not get Garrett sick. He has been so good to me. The other night I was going to sleep out in the living room on the couch so I wouldn't get him sick. I woke up to see that he had moved the mattress in on the living room floor so he could sleep next to me. How cute is that?

He has gotten the bath water going for me each day, made sure I take my medicine on time, bought me immunity smoothies and just rubbed me when I ache. Poor thing has got no attention as I am knocked out on the couch 90% of the time due to drowsy medicine. What a man! I am so lucky to have him in my life. He always puts me before himself and wants what is best for me. Oh I just love him.

You'll be glad to know that I am 87% better. No more sore throat and no more aches and chills. Just a leaky faucet of a nose. But all should be well by tomorrow.

Last I wanted to post some pictures of our drive last Sunday to Lake Tahoe. I had never been and pictured a lake just like Bear Lake. When I saw Tahoe I was speechless. It is a huge, vast oasis of water. So much bigger than I ever thought it would be. The scenery was breathtaking and I wish we could've spent more time there (It was 50 degrees and Sunday...so yeah).

We may not be the most photogenic bunch but we sure are a lot of fun. Thanks for surviving this tremendously long blog but like I said, we're so much fun so why not read it!

A Step Back in Time...

Sundays are the best days out here during the summer. Of course church is thrown into the mix, but the best part is that Garrett and I get to spend a whole day together! I just love Sundays.

Even though Garrett is exhausted by the time Sunday comes around, he always makes sure to take me out of the compound (the fond name I gave the Apartment complex) so that I can see a little more of Reno and a little less of four surrounding walls. I am so lucky to have a husband who endlessly puts me before himself.

This Sunday we went to Virginia City, an old historic mining town. It is about a 40 minute drive up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was so beautiful to wind around the mountains and see the pretty landscape.

Virginia City is kind of like Jackson Hole, only much smaller. They profit off of the cowboy theme. Store workers are dressed as cowboys and the women as saloon girls. And there are plenty of saloons.

One of the neatest parts of Virginia City was the old cemetery, dating back to the early 1800s. It was nostalgic to walk to boarded sidewalks and watch as people passed by riding their horses.

Reno may be one the armpits of the world, but when you venture out into the surrounding scenic treasures you can really appreciate this land.
P.S. It was really bright! I couldn't look at the camera.

The Biggest Little City...

It's summer and that means it is time for selling. Garrett sales for APX Alarm and this summer we are currently in Reno, NV. Very exotic, right? I just love going for jogs on the trail by our apartment only to hear rattlesnakes in the distance and try not to let the leaping lizards get the best of me. But really, we are grateful that Garrett has this job and is able to do so good at it.

We arrived in Reno a week and a half ago. We are living in really nice apartments. Many other sales reps have complained about the apartment but to Garrett and I it is heaven because: 1. There is a dishwasher 2. There is disposal 3. There is a tub 4. It is a huge tub. So huge that 4 people can fit in it, seriously.

Garrett is doing well this summer. Reno has been hard hit by the economy so it's been tough to sell. However, Garrett has been able to sale everyday. We know it is because of all the prayers that are on our behalf. Thank you. It is tough but Garrett does well to push hard everyday. The foreclosure rate here is 1 in every 23 homes. Can you believe it?

We won't be in Reno much longer. Probably 2-3 weeks at the most. Then it's off to somewhere new and we have no idea where.

Sometimes I get lonely being at home all day but it had been a nice break. I get to work on some projects, go to the gym, and take naps. I feel bad doing all this knowing how hard Garrett is working all day. But I do have a job as well. I work for APX writing news stories for their website. I write approximately 10 stories a day.

We are so blessed and miss everyone, but it's fun to have this new adventure. Don't forget about us here in Reno.

This is Garrett and Wesston, ready to leave to Reno from Rupert. The two drove their motorcycles out and I was left to fend for myself with the stick shift Passat. Good news is I only stalled 3 times the entire 8 hour journey!

Still Alive After 13.1

We did it! Garrett and I finished the Salt Lake 1/2 Marathon. It took us just under 2 hours and 25 minutes (I beat Garret by .01 of a second). It was great to see many members of our families out supporting us.
The night before the race Garrett got about 30 minutes of sleep. He was so nervous, not knowing what to expect. When we got to the starting line there was a gospel choir singing getting everyone excited. As we were waiting in line for the port-a-potties at the starting line we saw the Black shirt team from The Biggest Loser. We were able to talk to them and they were really nice. I even shook their hands and since I talked to them Garrett owes me $6 dollars.
We were in the port-a-potties when the actual race started, but no need to worry because with over 13,000 people participating in the race it takes a while to cross the finish line.

The race as a whole was good. About mile 11 the marathon winner ran past us...sad when a marathon runner is faster than you are at a half marathon.
Crossing the finish line was great. Garrett and I ran through holding hands.

I am so proud of Garrett for accomplishing this. He is so good to support me in my hobbies and even does them with me. With that being said, I'm still trying to convince him to run a full marathon. This is where I need your help! Pump him up for it. I'm shooting for the St. George Marathon in October. Garrett can do it!

Gar and Sar the Runnin' Pair

Have you ever seen the movie Run Fat Boy Run? Well if you haven't you'll get to see it reenacted when Garrett and I run the Salt Lake Half Marathon on Saturday April 18. It will be the anniversary of when we got engaged and to celebrate we are going to endure over 2 hours of torture...kidding. It's just a coincidence that it's the same day and we enjoy running.

We have been training since January for the half marathon and we're glad it's finally here. For those of you that don't know a half marathon is 13.1 miles. Garrett has been a real trooper, waking up early on Saturday mornings to run anywhere from 6-10 miles.

Some pictures should be up on Saturday when we have pictures of us sprinting (or should I say crawling) across the finish line at the Gateway Fountains. We're so glad that our family is going to be there to support us because we need the motivation.

"This land is your land. This land is MY land!"

We made a huge step in our lives this week. We traveled up to Rupert and bought some land! Crazy, huh? It was a big decision but we knew it was the right one. Garrett and I have always figured we would end up in Rupert and have been casually looking at homes on the market so we wouldn't miss a good deal. As luck would have it we found some land that was a steal of a deal. We couldn't pass it up. And with Obama's new $8000 tax credit for 1st time homebuyers we knew this was the right time. With the economy being down construction cost is also down and we have realized that building a starter home is possible. Thanks to Stan, the #1 realtor in Rupert (or so his wife brags...but I believe her) we have hopefully found a builder that will make it happen.
So we now have land and before the end of the year we hope to have a house. We won't be able to move to Rupert until May 2010, so it may sit empty for awhile, but we want to take advantage of the tax credit.
We feel so blessed to be able to have this option and I know that it's mostly because of Garrett and all his hard work! Below are some pictures of the land. It's a lot and a half, almost a 1/2 acre. The best part of it is that we will be next door neighbors with Kris & Jeff Faux. They are the ones who set Garrett and I up on our first date...and the rest is history. We feel so excited and blessed. We can't wait!

Garrett's new girl...

Scary title, huh? Don't panic! Two weeks ago Garrett and I caved and bought a motorcycle. It's a Honda Shadow 750, black. Today the temperature was 65 degrees and Garrett and I were able to take "her" out on a ride. It is so much fun! I can't decide if I enjoy the ride or the look on Garrett's face as he drive more.

It was a big step, getting a bike, but I think now is the time to do it. In the future we'll be having kids and won't be able to do something like this. Plus, when we go to sell in the summer, Garrett can cruise around with the boys to sell alarms.

Many people have asked if I'm glad we got a motorcycle. For some reason I think wives are suppose to disapprove of their husbands love for toys. Not me! I love it. It feels so good to ride and have the wind whip across me. Pictures will be posted soon. There aren't any today because just as soon as we pulled it out and went on a drive Logan weather kicked in,turned murky and we had to put her away. But soon you'll see us cruising by and if you're lucky Garrett may give you the biker's hand signal!