My plan

So I have had a ton of people ask me how things are going and what my plans are for the future. I thought it would be good to just post it. I should be done with my graduate degree by next summer is all goes well with my thesis and exit exams. From there, I will do the accelerated route to licensing for Utah and then be able to teach. So for the next two years I will be in Utah. This also coincides with what Drew is doing with school so we are on the same time line which makes things nice. :)

Christmas

This was a very nice Christmas this year. Andrew was a little grumpy at the beginning of the week but by Christmas morning he was chipper. :) I got to Drew's house at 8 am just in time to see the kids open their gifts. They liked the gifts that I got them and Drew spoiled me with a ton of stuff: a new set of scriptures, a piggy bank, and two gift cards. I got him a holster and now he "packs heat" any time he can. :) My family is here visiting for a few days and it is nice to spend time with them and our dog Sally. :)

Big SLC Date

Today Andrew took me up to SLC to go on our big date. We went ice skating and it was really fun. I hadn't gone ice skating since I was 10 and that was the only time that I had ever gone. I did pretty well, although there were plenty of kids who were speeding past me. ;) After that we had hot chocolate and went to the Gateway to get some gift ideas. As a side note, that mall really is not that impressive. It has just as many shops as the malls here in Provo and Orem but you freeze your butt off going from store to store. Then we went to dinner at the Olive Garden and went to Temple Square to go see the lights. It has become our little Christmas tradition since we did it last year too. :) Then we came home and I am currently watching the BYU bowl game and am getting more and more depressed as it goes on... Tomorrow is the big Chirstmas program for the ward so I will be able to breathe easier. :)

mark item of the week

mark Party Starter Kit

830-945

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price: $25.00

A $44 value!
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- Good Glowing in Star Glo
- Snap To It Mezzo custom color palette
- Dew Drenched in Dew
- Juice Gems in Juicy Papaya
- Black Ruched Clutch
Clutch: 100% polyester. Imported.

Done with finals!

Well, I am all done with my finals! I went to go enter my grades for the class I teach and there was some huge issue and I am not listed as the teacher for that course. I am so frustrated. I have been trying to get it changed all semester and was told that it was and it turns out that it was never changed. So now there is an issue with the grades but it should be sorted out. We will see. I am so glad to be done though. Andrew still has one more final on Friday and then he is going to take me on a nice date and we can relax. :)

Thanksgiving Pics

So I am a little late in posting them, but here are some pictures from Thanksgiving. We had dinner with Drew's family and then went to Twin Falls and spent the weekend with my family. It was fun, vacation was way too short but now we have Christmas break to look forward to. I only have one more final on Wednesday so I will be done tomorrow! Then Drew is taking me on a fun date in SLC on Saturday!

Jimmy gave up his bed so Drew could sleep in it. He camped out in the family room. My brother can sleep through just about anything. ;)

All the guys. Jimmy and Drew are playing Wii and Dad is watching.

This is Sally doing her "Super Dog." If you look closely you can see that her little hind legs are behind her just like the Superman pose. She almost looks like a little turkey from behind when she does this. :)

The finished product! Isn't she cute?

Sally growling while we put on her new sweater.

Laura (Andrew's sister) and the kids playing Twister.

Stewie giving a classic Uncle Andrew look.

Kiera and Sophie playing games on the computer.

Drew and his mom making the gravy.

The last week of class

So this is the last week of class and things are coming down to the wire. I actually feel really good about this semester and have things pretty much wrapped up. I have to edit a few things on my various projects, but other than that I am good to go. I also just found out that I am going to be getting an extra 5 hours of TA work next semester which translates into a pretty significant increase in pay. Poor Andrew is really struggling with things--it seems like everything is going wrong for him. I will be so glad when the 17th rolls around and I am done with all of my finals and Drew and I can just relax and enjoy our (brief) vacation. :)

mark item of the week

mark Self Sanctuary Mini Body Treats Shower Wash Collection
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Twilight

So I have seen the movie and I have to admit that although some parts are cheesey like the reviews say, I enjoyed it overall. I liked it so much that I am going to go see it again. I am a girl and am a sucker for a love story and hot leading man. ;)

December

I can't believe that it is already December. Today marks 14 months that Drew and I have been dating. :) I do wish (and I can't believe I am saying this) that it would snow so that we could have a white Christmas. I am getting really stressed out with school but I will be done with finals on the 17th so that is something to look forward to. As long as I stay organized and focused I should be able to get everything done with little to no casualties.

mark item of the week

mark Pure Fragrance Mist
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mark. item of the week

This week's item is:

mark I-Mark Custom Pick Eye Shadow

Take your pick.

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Monday

I am leaving this Thursday for a trip to Vegas with some of my friends. I need suggestions as far as what to do. I know we will be doing some shopping and I will most likely want to stop in at Tiffanys to see all the pretty sparklies there, and the fountains at the Bellagio are a must. I am also thinking of going to the bodies exhibit they have there. Part of it is in Salt Lake but they have the whole shebang there. So...if you have any superfun ideas let me know!

As a regular addition to my blog I will be featuring one mark. item each week. I love this product because it gives you just the right amount of sparkle and shine and the colors compliment all skin-tones. If you place an order with me and purchase this product you will get a bonus gift with purchase and free shipping. As always, if you would rather just purchase on-line and have your order shipped directly to you visit my website: www.mymarkstore.com/rleblanc

mark Pro Lips Kit

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Pictures from Halloween

Pumpkins!

The one that is throwing up is Andrew's and the cute one was designed by me, gutted and mostly carved by Andrew. ;)

Here are some pictures of our costumes. Andrew was Tom Selleck from Magnum PI and I was a disco diva. :)

Magnum PI is so hot! ;)

Tagged

8 Shows I love to watch:
1. Ugly Betty!!!
2. The Office!!
3. Greek!
4. Pushing Daisies
5. Lost
6. Friends
7. Seinfeld
8. Gilmore Girls

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Costa Vida (fast-food, but not quite, and soooo good!)
2. Joe Banditos
3. Olive Garden
4. P.F Chang’s
5. Red Robin
6. Wingers
7. The Melting Pot
8. Cracker Barrel

8 Things That Happened Yesterday
1. Woke up
2. Went to class
3. Worked on the Barlow Endowment
4. Updated my blog
5. Ate lunch with Andrew
6. Watched episodes from season 3 of the office
7. Did counterpoint homework and prepared my lesson plan
8. Practiced with Sharon at the church

8 Things I’m Looking Forward To:
1. Vegas!!!
2. Thanksgiving break
3. Finishing the semester
4. Fleshing out my thesis
5. Seeing the family dog, Sally
6. Paying off debts
7. My little brother Jimmy coming to BYU for Fall `09
8. Getting married (obviously waaay in the future since I am not even engaged yet. ;))

8 Things I Love About Fall
1. Fall is when I met Drew! ;)
2. Hot Chocolate
3. BYU Football
4. The beautiful colors
5. Long sleeves
6. Halloween
7. Thanksgiving
8. Caramel Apple Cider (especially the Starbucks kind)

8 Things On My Wish List:
1. Do well in all my classes
2. Lower stress levels for Drew and myself
3. Shoes
4. New clothes
5. Positive political change
6. More money
7. Serenity
8. An engagement ring (he he :))

Well, most of the people I would tag have already taken the survey. I guess I will tag Holly, Courtney, and Lindsey. :)

mark. makeup

I have been selling mark makeup for four years now and am really trying to make something of it here in Utah. Mark is a subsidiary of Avon and the products are good quality without the outrageous price. The best thing about mark is that you can customize the palate of colors and products that you want to meet your individual beauty needs. Plus they have the cutest bags and accessories. :) You should check out my web-site: www.mymarkstore.com/rleblanc to see what mark has to offer and contact me with any questions or for samples of a particular item. As always, when you order from me there is no shipping costs but you can always order directly from the site and they will deliver to your door! :)

11/4

So I voted for the first time ever today and it was pretty stress free. Maybe it was just because I got there so early, but I didn't have to wait in line and there were no issues with my registration. It was also all computerized so there was no hassle. I have been noticing that quite a few people are choosing not to vote and are proud of that fact. In my opinion that shouldn't be the case. In other countires such as Brazil, it is required by law to vote and if you don't then you have to pay a fine. In America we pride ourselves on the democratic process and were founded on the ideas that all men are created equal and that we have a right to govern ourselves. By not voting you are taking away your rights. In addition, if you don't vote you have no right to complain about the state of affairs for the next four years since you made no effort whatsoever to make your voice heard. In the age of facebook, blogs, and public expression of every feeling a person has it seems ridiculous that someone would choose to stay silent on an issue as serious as this.

November

Tomorrow I will be voting for the first time ever. It is pretty exciting and I am looking forward to it, although it just boils down to picking the lesser of two evils. ;) This is going to be a big month for me. I have a lot going on as far as school and work plus I am taking a trip to Vegas the 14th-17th. Halloween was fun even though it was less eventful than past years. Pictures will be posted soon.

Friday Night

So it is a Friday night and I am without a date. My wonderful boyfriend is helping his buddy put a new engine in their only car so I am left to my own devices. ;) I hate moving and unfortunately I have to move again. So I spent my evening trying to pack up some things that I do not need in the immediate future and trying not to stress about school. It seems like everything this semester is going crazy already and school hasn't even started yet! If you know of anyone who needs some pots and pans or some small furniture let me know!

My Birthday

Here are some pics from my birthday and the party

I had at Chili's with Nat! I basically had two days of celebrations which was nice! I got everything that I wanted and am currently reading one of my gifts, Breaking Dawn. Isn't my man a hottie? I sure think so! :)

I broke down

So everyone is telling me how amazing blogging is so I decided that I should try it too. There will be more to come once I figure out how to work my page! :)