This little girl is so awesome!

I have seen this video all over, but I just had to post it. Little Jessica says it all. So take the 50 seconds to watch this little ball of sunshine and you will probably watch it over and over again like I did because she is so darn cute! I need to say my own daily affirmations!!

Great Summer Nights!

Can I just tell you how much I love summer nights. Oh, it feels so so good to be able to spend the evening outside with a light jacket and not feel too cold. We have really been enjoying living up here in Mtn. Green for the summer and we know that we will be leaving this paradise soon. too soon. So, we are relishing and living in every moment we can here. 

We feed the chickens. 

Take care of the horses.

Watch the cows graze. 

Mow the lawn and trim the edges. 

Fix broken sprinklers (well, Jeff does that)

Play with the goats and feed them little treats. 

Roast hot dogs and marshmallows with family and friends. 

Enjoy each other's company.

See the beauty that is ALL around us. 

the mountains

the rivers

the tall grass

the small ponds

the green trees

the incredible animals

the birds

the critters

everything.

I can't start missing this place just yet, I have to enjoy it while it is here.

We had Heidi, Brett, Jill, Tom, and Whit up for a nice weinie roast. It was perfect weather and oh.so.fun!

love.these.ladies.

Nothing better than sitting around the fire with your best friends. 

Last night I had a strange dream. I usually dream often, but they never really stay with me like this dream stuck. I remember running. I was running from 3 men, but I was with 2 other girls. It was us 3 against them. I do not know the reason I was running, but they were chasing us in their white sedan. I remember the car specifically, though I am not sure why. I was running in and out of houses (or buildings? I don't know.) Hiding anywhere we could find, underneath desks and behind doors, behind buildings and gardens. They would find us...me, but never hurt or attempt to hurt me. I was scared though. I felt threatened by them and I did not want to get caught. I kept running, they kept chasing. I ran into rooms I did not recognize. But, I felt like I was looking for something. Maybe something they did not want me to find? I also remember a specific instance when I got caught. The man was holding something, but I don't remember what it was. A weapon? I don't know. He had brown hair and facial hair. He turned his back on me and I escaped. He seemed like he did not really know what he was doing. After I escaped, I could hear someone looking for me. I ran through one room, into another room and thought to hide behind the door, but no, that would be an easy find. So I slid underneath and desk and crouched in a ball. then I woke up. 

dreams are SO weird sometimes. 

One Year Anni!

Beautiful view on the drive home from BL. I love the clouds in this picture.

ps. Sorry the pictures are out of order... Im too tired to organize them.

Jeff and I celebrated our one year anniversary on Friday. It is so crazy to think that we have been married for a whole year. It just flew by and it was the best year of my life! Being married to Jeff has been the most natural and comfortable experience. I thought maybe it would take some getting used to or lots of adjustments, but other than actually having to worry about what to make for dinner, it has been awesome. I must admit that I am not good at deciding what to have for dinner. It would be so much easier if someone would just decide for me and I could just make it. I don't know why the decision of what to eat is the hardest for me, but it is!

Hanging out at the beach. It was so relaxing!

I have always heard people say that the first year of marriage is the hardest and that you really have to change your life and your priorities. I definitely think that the changing part is true, but if this was the hardest part of our marriage, then I would have to say that I can't believe how easy it has been. Yes, the worrying about money and saving and what we can afford and worrying about work has been stressful, but I have never once felt like it has put any kind of stress on our relationship and our ability to communicate or work through an issue. Jeff is so incredibly patient with me! Especially when I don't understand something (usually about finances or loans or adult stuff) and he never has a short temper with me. I love him so much and would not be who I am today if it weren't for him. He makes me a better person everyday and we compliment each other so well.

Jeff was determined to beat this level on a game on his iPhone. Love this swimsuit of his!

We felt like we were in Mexico! It was so so so nice outside! Hot sun!

I hear some women say that their husbands never do the dishes or the laundry or they never work in the yard with them, and I think of Jeff and he does all those things with me. He probably does them more than me because he is always on top of things and getting those tedious jobs out of the way so that we can have more time to play. But, I really do feel so blessed to have an eternal companion who is such a strong and perfect example of the Christ-like attributes that I am constantly trying to be better at - serving others, being humble, working hard, never gossiping or talking about others, always thinking of what other people need and then actually helping them out.

just us

Anyway, enough of the sappy-ness... for our anniversary we decided to go to Bear Lake for the weekend and just hangout with each other. I love Bear Lake so much. I grew up loving it and going up there every summer with my family. but I love it especially more because Bear Lake is where Jeff and I first "met." And I say "met" because we have known each other, in a way (mostly through our families) probably since we were in diapers. Or at least since I was in diapers.

Jeff enjoying the scenery. the water is beautiful at Bear Lake. Love it.

Our first fun little hangout and the first time we ever really talked was in Bear Lake. It was such a fun night. I remember Jeff had come down to the beach where I was hanging out with my 5 year old cousin, Gracie. Well, he brought his cousin's little boy, Tyler, down to the beach with him (the babies always get the girls, right? haha) while his family was up at the condo eating lunch. I think he did not want ANYONE knowing that he was talking to me and pretty much flirting with me ;) Anyway, later that night he asked me if I wanted to go on a scooter ride and of course I said yes. (he was a total babe! How could I say no?!) On the scooter ride he was totally flirting with me and I just had this feeling that there was something more to this boy than the other boys.

The cake. MMmmmmm it was delicious. Actually pretty moist. Red Velvet with buttercream frosting. Delish!

The cake looks pretty good for being frozen for a year!!

I know this is really cliche and way cheesy, but for some reason I just knew that he was the one. He was the man I would marry and I knew it before I really knew him. It sounds creepy to say it out loud, but when it is right, you just know it is right. There is a different feeling that is so hard to describe other than you just know what the feeling is and it feels good and different. Almost like an answer to a prayer that you are really praying so hard for and then you just know the answer. Anyway, I am so glad that Jeff felt the same way. He told me that he was scared to start dating me... not because he was scared of me, but because he said he just knew that if we started dating that we would eventually get married. I am glad he felt the same thing that I felt.

At Tepanyaki's

the famous volcano... notice the Lava coming down the sides. I hadn't seen that addition before!

Anyway, the whole day was great! While I was waiting for Jeff at home, the doorbell rang and when I went to the door, no one was there.... except there were flowers and a gift certificate to get my hair done at this awesome salon that a friend of ours works at. It was such a fun surprise and I absolutely LOVED the flowers. My favorite flowers are Gerbera Daisies and he had gotten me a full bouquet of them. It was so sweet! Before we went to the Lake, Jeff took me to dinner at Tepanyaki's in Layton (after his softball game, of course) and it was such a fun dinner! We had the BEST server. He was so entertaining and had the coolest tricks up his sleeve. This restaurant was a Japanese restaurant and they prepare your food at your table, similar to Benihana's. Anyway, it was great and so fun, even though the people at the other end of our table were really weird... we had a great time!

The beautiful flowers Jeff left for me at the front door. I LOVE them!

That night we drove to the Lake and got there in time to have a slice of our wedding cake! I was a little worried that it hadn't been stored or wrapped the right way, but it was surprisingly really yummy! I ended up having a piece both nights we were in Bear Lake! It was great. We did a lot of fun things at the Lake. We hungout at the beach, got some sun, played some great tennis, went on a date Cafe Sabor for dinner, went to the Motor Lodge for breakfast and had delicious French Toast, hungout at the beach some more, threw the softball around, and even got into the freezing cold Bear Lake water! It was the best time because I got to spend the whole weekend with my best friend! After one year, I can honestly say that I am so so excited for the many years to come. It has been the best year of my life!

I love you, Jeff!

Bear Lake Half Marathon

This is a picture of us wearing our medals after the race. We are back at Ideal Beach and you can kind of tell that it had really been raining good that day!

A little over a week ago Jeff, Dallas, and I ran in the Bear Lake Half Marathon. It was such an awesome race and so much fun to be a part of. We liked it so much that we are looking for another race for august. If you know of any good ones, post a comment cause I want to sign up before the late registration! Anyway, the race was perfect and ended up being really good even though we definitely did not train as well as we should have. I know I felt it during the race more than I usually would.

Dallas pre-race.

We were so nervous that the race day would be pouring rain and completely miserable, but it ended up being the perfect temperature and just such a great race. In the beginning, we got dropped off at our starting line and it was raining pretty hard. I seriously looked at Jeff and said "We should just get back on the bus and ride back to Garden City" haha! But, we stuck it out and as soon as we were given the starting go ahead, I swear the clouds lifted and the rain subsided and it was beautiful weather and temperature the whole race. There was a part that was quite muddy and Jeff said he saw a girl totally biff it and get all muddy, which is so sad, but it wasnt too bad for us, we made it through without any spills!

Throughout the race, after about mile 2 or 3, I was just barely in front of Dallas and I am really competitive and did not want him to catch me, especially since he did maybe one day of training. So, I got with this group of ladies, who definitely were marathoners, and I just stuck with them the whole race and it helped me get through the rough parts so much! It is way better to run with people and have someone to talk to rather than running by yourself and constantly thinking about the pain. These ladies did end up giving me some great advice though, haha, one of them told me this "I have two pieces of advice for you. #1. Never get divorced. and #2. Never let your husband die." haha Kind of really random, but I took them to heart and I made sure Jeff knew that he was for sure not allowed to die on me! haha they were awesome ladies and great story tellers and made my race very very enjoyable.

We all finished with pretty good times and not too far apart from each other. I don't know the exact times but that is not what matters anyway! We had such a fun experience and I am just glad that Jeff actually wants to do another one with me. It is so motivating and it really is fun to be able to do something active and healthy with Jeff. We are converted runners and marathoners!

You can call me Mrs. Brewer

I'm not sure how "official" it is, but yesterday, I was offered a full-time English Teaching position at Viewmont High in Bountiful along with the Head Volleyball Coach position! Wow. That is a lot for one breath. I might need to sit down.

It has all happened so fast and I'm not sure it has even sunk in yet, but it sure feels great and I am over-the-top excited for this new adventure that is in front of me. I know it is going to be a LOT of work and a lot of time, but I cannot wait. I won't lie, it is really weird for me to say that I am a teacher AND a head coach. Am I old enough to be a head coach? haha, well, whether or not my new team thinks I am old enough, I am absolutely anxious to meet them and to get our team on the track to winning a State Championship! (Is that too much for my first year?) haha! Can you tell I am a little bit excited?

I will tell you how this all came about, because before Monday, I had not even talked with the principal on the phone. An incredible woman, Lori Salvo, was the head coach at Viewmont before myself and she had a dream of coaching at her Alma Mater, Davis High, since forever. When the opportunity presented itself, she couldn't turn it down and she transferred schools. I happened to run into her at my women's volleyball league and we got to talking about what I was up to. She knew that Viewmont would be looking for a coach and so she started talking to her principal and found out that they also needed an English teacher. Wow. Can you see how all this is piecing together. Well it was a few weeks later when she called me up and asked me if I had applied for the position (which I had not because I couldn't find it on the internet!!!). So, I called the principal up on Monday and we talked for a little while, mostly about what kind of teacher I was, what I believed in, mainly interview-type questions. Well, later that night, no lie probably after 8, I got a phone call from Principal Tennis and he told me that he really felt like he needed to get me in for an interview and would I be able to come in tomorrow. Of course I said yes because how could I turn down such an incredible opportunity?!

On Tuesday afternoon, at 12:30 to be exact, I pulled into the Viewmont parking lot, walked into the school, then patiently waited in the front office for my interview to begin. I have been in this seat before... many times before. I have been through many many interviews and I have felt the pounding in my heart every time. It never gets better, but, in a way, I think it is a good thing to be nervous. Being nervous shows that you really want to succeed and you really want something. When Mr. Tennis came out to bring me into the conference room, my heart was even more so pounding through my chest. I am surprised he didn't notice! (or at least I don't think he noticed..) As I walked into the room, I had prepared myself to see maybe 2 or 3 other people sitting in the room waiting to greet me, like I have normally seen in previous interviews at other schools, and to my surprise... there were about 8 or 9 people sitting around the conference table. AH! That is the most intimidating sight to see.... you in front with all these eyes staring at you waiting for you to say something brilliant. Im sure most of what came out of my mouth was mush, but somehow I guess it worked. After a half-an-hour interview and 2 hours later, I got another phone call from Mr. Tennis. No introduction. Just the words "Hi Melissa, we want you to be our Head Coach and Teacher!"

oh.my.goodness! I couldn't tell you how my heart started pounding again. I accepted and after some words exchanged I got off the phone and tried to let it sink in. Is it possible for something you have been dreaming of and praying for so hard to sink in within the first 10 minutes? No. It's not! It still seems like a dream. This is such a huge blessing and I have so many people who have been there with me along the way, getting me through each interview. All the many interviews I have been in I know have prepared me for this one important interview. Thinking back to my first interview and the last interview, I know I have improved dramatically in those skills and in showing my interviewee's the kind of teacher, coach, and person I truly am. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me, taught me, mentored me, and been there for me. I know that I could not be where I am today without the help of my family and friends.

"Love life. Engage in it. Give it all you've got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it." - Maya Angelou

Camp Clean-Up!

This weekend the Brewer's had "camp clean-up" at their cabin. This was my first year being a part of camp clean up and, let me just tell you, they have got it down to an art! The women clean the cabin while the men clean up all the dead trees, bushes, etc. Inside the cabin there was a lot of action going on! We took all the blankets and sheets off the beds, shook them out (yucky mice poops and spiders), We took all the furniture outside and vacuumed and mopped every inch of floor, the older women cleaned out the cupboards and fridge, we cleaned every chandelier and light fixture... whew. That place was dirty!! Dust and cobwebs all over! But, now it is spick and span... well... cleaner than it was :) I won't lie, I wasn't necessarily looking forward to going to camp clean-up, I am not what most people would call an avid-cleaner. haha, but it ended up being pretty fun! Here are some pics from the action that was going on...

This is a pic of all the ladies watching the boys burn up all the extra tree trimmings and what not. The cabin was finished so we were able to watch all the action. It was fun to be able to hangout with some family that we don't get to see all that often.

Ali, me, and Emma swinging on the swing. That is a big seat for all three of us to fit on! We had lots of fun in the sun!

Here are the boys showing their big muscles. This clean up was no joke! They really made everything look so nice and that is the reason why the family has been able to keep coming back to the cabin and making lots of fun memories.

Here is my babe taking a small part of a big tree to another part of the property. It is a good thing they brought those 4-wheelers or I don't know how they would have moved those trees!

Jose showing the guys how its done!

After camp clean up, our little Brew crew decided to make good use of the ashes that were still burning down from all the trees that were thrown into the pile and we made tinfoil dinners! IT was actually really fun and we were able to hangout together a little bit longer than everyone else was able to. The little girlies were able to get a few more rides in on the 4-wheelers, which they loved, and we made smores and yummy chicken, onion, carrot, and potato tinfoil dinners. We feel lucky to live so close to the cabin that we are able to do these fun things.

Making our tinfoil dinners

Roasting some Mallows!

The girls kept begging their uncles for more 4-wheeler rides! What fun uncles they have :)

Not sure what exactly happened in this picture, I must have been moving, but everyone else looks good! We had such a fun night after a really long, fun day.

Gradumicated!

My youngest brother, Jake the snake, graduated from Skyline High School yesterday! It was such a fun time to be able to see him all grown up at his graduation. It is hard to believe that he is old enough to be graduated, but at the same time he has matured and grown into such a great, intelligent, humble (sometimes) and sincere person. I am so proud of him and all his many accomplishments! He was in the top 10% of his class and he was also a basketball star for the Eagles. Jake is everybody's friend and has the most interesting and hilarious humor that I have ever seen. He has millions of friends and is always everyone else's friend. I remember from the time when he was like 5 years old, he was always hanging out with the cutest little girls and they were always calling him to hangout. It is because he has the best personality and he is always so nice to everyone. Jake is incredibly handsome and he always has girls left and right calling him wanting to hang out with him, it is a little bit scary! But, I know it is because he is such a nice guy. He is the guy that everyone wants to be around because he is so funny and always makes sure everyone is having a good time. Jake has the best group of guy friends too. They do everything together and it is really almost like they are brothers themselves. I am so glad he chose such a solid group of friends to help him make good decisions and still have fun. Jake is a sweetheart and I couldn't be more excited for him in this next step of his life. He will be heading up to Logan to attend Utah State University for the Fall Semester and then putting his papers in for a mission. I am so proud of you! Congratulations, Jake!

Here are just a few of the many looks of Jake Osterloh

The Crochet master, Art Vandalay (This was his professional Crochet name)

Humorous Jake

Handsome Jake

And this, my friends, is his current look. His hair is looooong and blonde? Gold? Who knows! But he still pulls it off somehow. Interesting Jake, but whatevs!

Dorky Jake. Notice the Goldi-locks! He is cutting it today! Hopefully!

Way to go, JAKE!!!

Memory - al Day

This weekend was a blast! Jeff and I drove up north to our fave place in the world, Bear Lake. Jeff's family had been there since Friday morning, but we met up with them Saturday night ater working all day Saturday.

Bear Lake is the best because it is so fresh and beautiful and there is always something fun going on. We played softball and threw the ball quite a bit in preparation for our game this week. We played kickball with the whole crew, went swimming at the pool, and the boys even were crazy enough to get a little wakeboarding in at the Lake while they were pulled by a 4-wheeler. Not sure what made them get brave enough to get in the frigid water, but it was cool and fun to see them doing what they love :) The weekend was filled with great food, fun games, lots of movies, and even a trip to Montpelier, ID for some Idaho Lottery Scratch-n-Sniffs. Jeff and I weren't really so lucky, but Tom and Whit came out with a $20 win!

Once I get the pictures, I will post them asap! Love holidays spent with the family!