2 Months in Pictures

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So here is ourlife since we got back from Des Moines, IA in late August. We are glad to be back, but back in school is another thing... This picture above is us riding the Train at Lagoon. Over UEA (last weekend) we went with my family to Hogle Zoo and Lagoon for a fun weekend.

Abbey and Mom with the Elephant. Believe it or not it was farting while taking the picture. No lie.

John, Anna, Abbey and Cache on the Train. Cache was a trooper at Lagoon. We love going because it's Frightmares at Lagoon and the park is all decked out in Halloween stuff.

Pilot Sarah on the Flying Aces.

Garrett who flew his plane the highest.

The baby elephant is new at Hogle Zoo. She was just born. Her name is Zuri. Isn't she so cute?

The big daddy elephant.

You could never guess that this was Garrett's first time at a zoo...

They had these awesome hats at Hogle Zoo. I couldn't resist the picture opportunity.

NOW ON TO THE BIGGEST NEWS! We are officially homeowners now. On September 23, 2009 we closed on our house in Rupert. We are so blessed to be able to have a home and are excited to eventually move into it. Below are some pictures of the house. They are kind of old because we haven't taken any pictures of the finished product. I promise they will be up next week.

Master Bedroom and Closet

The darling Sante Fe doors up against the painted wall so you can see the contrast of colors

This is the living room. The front door is the dirty one shown in the picture. Now it's beautiful, deep colored, solid wood door.

The back of the house.

This is before all the exterior was done, but you get the gist of it. This is the what she looks like! We absolutely love it.

We asked if we could keep the port-a-potty, but they wanted it back!

Our fireplace. It now has tile around it.

The master bathroom. I love the big garden tub. I've missed getting to take a bath.

This is our laundry room.

This is the guest bathroom

Our beautiful mahogany cabinets.

These are our hand carved wood floors, covered in a ton of dust. Just imagine their beauty!

This is our kitchen. I can't wait to use the pantry in the corner and cook my little heart out.

Another shot of our living room with the fireplace. We had the mantle match the cabinets throughout the house to create a good flow.

We are so excited for our house. It's crazy to think we're homeowners. We will be moving in when we both graduate in the Spring. Until then it will be our little weekend getaway retreat. Thanks to Dean and Debra for taking pictures and keeping us updated all the time and to Jen for her drive-by updates on her way to work.

Now onto the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo. Since the day Garrett and I met, I have heard nonstop about the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo. Garrett even planned to come back in time for the fair from summer sales! I must admit that the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo wasn't a let down at all. I loved tasting all the yummy food (scones, maple bars, pretty much everything I shouldn't be eating) and watching the Wards show their Steers was great. My favorite part, however, was watching my own little cowboy in the rodeo. Garrett joined Wesston and Wesston's friend in competing in the Wild Cow Ride. The winning team gets a belt buckle and amazing bragging rights in Rupert and Burley.

The Wild Cow ride is nothing like I have every seen. A team of three has to chase down a cow, put a saddle on him, and ride it through some barrells. This is all while firecrackers are going off so the cows aren't too happy. I watched and screamed until I couldn't talk watching Garrett and the crew compete. And guess what...THEY WON! They beat out all the other teams. I am so proud of Garrett and his Strong, Muscley Body and the pride he gave me in telling everyone that my cowboy won at the rodeo. Here are some pictures of the event!

Here we are getting ready to watch the rodeo.

*notice Debra's peace sign*The Cassia County Fair is so great that we invited my parents and Abbey to come up to join in the fun!

Before the Wild Cow Ride began. As you can see Wesston and Garrett both have on their belt buckles from their previous win right before their missions. A lot was on the line this time around.

I am so proud of my Cowboy. They got new belt buckles worth $150. Notice in the above picture that my dad wanted to join in the celebration. He. Jeff Faux and Dean are going to do it next year...right?

Well the eternal post is over. Between all of these events Garrett has been working hard at Mount Logan Middle School while doing full-time school. I am working 3/4 time as a receptionist at the Dental Office and am teaching Aerobics and Pilates at USU. School is going good. I just turned in my graduation packet for the Spring today with Garrett. We're doing it...we're growing up. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes school, then comes a home...what's next?

A Much Needed Update

So much for my blogging every week! It's sad because I have all the time in the world out here and for some reason I just keep putting it off...like I have anything else to do. In order to officially update all 5 or so of you who actually look at our blog, I am going to do a top 5 list of things have have happened since the last update:

1. We're coming home! We have enjoyed our time in Reno and Des Moines this summer but both Garrett and I are aching to be back in Logan and Rupert to see our families and get back into the usual swing of things. Since our car's untimely death we have decided to fly home instead of hitchhike. We will be leaving Des Moines on Tuesday, August 11 and are excited to have 2 weeks of summer before school starts.

2. Our house is getting closer and closer to being done. We've heard that the sheetrock is up and shingles are on but don't have any pictures of that yet. Garrett's parents, Dean and Debra, have been so sweet to go check on our house every week and send us updates. Here are some pictures they sent about 2 or 3 weeks ago of the outside of the house. It is further along now and when Garrett and I get a chance to go to Rupert we'll update the pictures.

3. I have a new job. When we get back to Logan Garrett will return to Mount Logan Middle School where he is a hall monitor/snack giver-outer an I will be back at Dr. Jensen's dental office as the secretary. However, every Monday and Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 at night I will be teaching step aerobics and pilates at Utah State. I am so excited for this opportunity. Many of you may not know but I became a ceritified personal trainer in April and so now I'm putting it to use. If you are ever around come to one of the classes. It should be fun. Also I have another blog titled For A Fitter Life that you should check out. It's just a blog where I'll post information about having a healthier lifestyle and improving on fitness. I just started it so hopefully it will begin to get some traffic.

4. Garrett has done awesome this summer. With the tanked economy, selling alarms hasn't been a breeze, but Garrett has risen to the occasion and completed his goal for the summer. I am so lucky to have a husband with so much drive and ambition. I know that I will never have to worry about being taken care of. Garrett is a go-getter...the best husband there is.

5. It's time for the Condie duo to run another half marathon. Earlier this summer Garrett and I registered for the Top of Utah Half Marathon, right after we'd completed the SLC half marathon. This time around it should be a good one considering all the training we've been doing *notice the hint of sarcasm*. With Garrett's work schedule we haven't had time to properly train but regardless we're putting on our running shoes and doing that dang 13.1 miles even if we have to crawl. It's August 29 so maybe we'll see some of you there are you run past us...trust us, you will. Time doesn't matter, right? Just the feeling of completing it.

Well that's about all that's happened in our world. Thanks for all the love and support everyone gives us as we're so far away from home. We can't wait to see you all and pick up right where we left off.

VW Passat (2001-2009) RIP

Des Moines - Garrett and Sarah Condie's VW Passat, 8, died unexpextedly Saturday, July 25, 2009 at the Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, IA.

The Passat leaves behind his two owners who were shocked to see him go and who are grieving for the loss of their vehicle, especially after recently dumping money into the piece junk.

The Passat entered the Condie family in 2006 after Garrett's mission. It provided fun times for Garrett and saw him through his 3 years at USU. People were amazed at the sound system the then-bachelor Garrett was able to put in. He could put any lowriding hispanic's sterio out of business.

After unexpectedly not starting after a trip to the mall, many techniques were used to revive the poor Passat. However, after a towing to the dealership, the Condies made a tough decision to pull the plug instead of sinking more into it.

Goodbye Passat. We will miss you, expecially because you left us high and dry. But no worries, we will get over our grief and eventually move on. Goodbye Passat. Rest in Peace in your new upcoming home: the junkyard.

A private funeral service will be held later this week. The family would like to thank everyone for their outreach of love and support. In leiu of flowers, please donate to the Condie Car Charity which will go to a much needed couple *cough* who have resulted in a similar car death situation.

Nauvoo

When we found out we were moving to Des Moines I was most excited about the fact that we were only 3 hours away from Nauvoo. Not wanting to pass the experience up, Garret and I along with Russell, another sales rep, went to Nauvoo on Sunday. Sundays are the only days we have off and what better way to spend it than going to Nauvoo.

Garrett had already been but not I. I just ate it all up. I love learning and learning about church history really opened my eyes up. I've been reading the D&C each day trying to even learn more. Here are some pictures from our journey. The weather was perfect and it wasn't crowded at all. It felt like we were on a personal tour the whole time.
Crossing the Mississippi

Entering IllinoisThe original Sun image
Lyon Drug is where Garrett's Grandma served when she was a missionaryI am jumping rope over the rope we made.
Joseph, Hyrum and Emma's Graves


I told Garrett we needed to vary our "stand by each other with our arms wrapped around each other" pose we always do. Thus, I am sitting on the stairs of Joseph's Red Brick store by a flower pot. This is where the Relief Society was established.
This was Garrett's pose of choice... This is the seventies hall. I loved all the artifacts it had in there.




And we're back to the traditional pose in front of the BEAUTIFUL Nauvoo Temple.A statue of Joseph and Hyrum

Coming away from Nauvoo both of our tesitmonies were stronger. I felt so lucky and blessed to be a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. I am also so grateful for the opportunity temples give us and to be able to be sealed to Garrett forever. Going to Nauvoo was a dream fulfilled and something I will never forget.

I Should Be Exercising...

It's no secret that I love to exercise but lately I seem to lack the gusto to go. The weather here in Iowa has been rainy, rainy, humid and rainy. With dark skies and wet pavement it makes me just want to stay inside under a blanket all day. But then at the end of the day comes the guiltiness of being lazy.

So I should be exercising right now but I am finding things to do to put it off until I can't anymore. Thus, the blog post. It should keep me from hitting the gym for about another 15 minutes...

The reason our blog hasn't been updated for awhile is that nothing much has happened. We did drive from Reno, NV to Des Moines, IA and I thought I would have a ton to blog about. It turns out the sagebrush and antelope of Wyoming can lull anyone to sleep and Nebraska, though beautiful, is flat and pretty much the same thing over and over again.

Des Moines is breathtaking, lush and green. The only thing I don't like about it is that I don't know where anything is. Usually I use the mountains to realize what's North and South but here everything is pretty flat and there are so many trees you can't see anything. At least we're breathing good, oxygenated air.

On our way from Reno to Des Moines we stopped in Rupert and Logan to say hi to our families quick. We miss them so much. In Rupert we were able to stop by our lot and see that the foundation for our house has been poured. EXCITING!

Originally our house was going to be finishing by Novemeber 1st, but with interest rates rising our house's deadline has been pushed up. We should be first time homeowners by Septemeber...CRAZY. We are both so excited to have a home of our own and for the opportunity we will have to live in Rupert.

Well, I guess it's off to the gym. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the opportunity and time I have to exercise it's just that this murky weather makes me lazy! Until next time...

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.