You Know You Live in Rexburg When...

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...you are taking a walk in the park and come across the entire Plan of Salvation drawn out on the sidewalk with chalk. I almost died laughing. Rexburg is SO Mormon.

(Spirit World)
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(Mortal Life)


(Spirit Prison and Paradise)

(The Three Degrees of Glory)

Becca, aren't you excited to move here? =)

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Take a Walk With Us

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Do you not blame us for taking

this walk every chance we get?
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We love Rexburg.

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We are the Coolest Adults Ever!

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Or maybe we're just ridiculous. I'm afraid to ask.

But, for our date last weekend, Andrew and I built a tent out of quilts and sheets...in our living room...just for fun.

It was AWESOME.
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Didn't you all do this as a kid? Drape blankets over furniture and hold them in place with big heavy books? My sis and I used to do this and sleep in our make-shift tent for as many nights as possible before Mom made us clean it up. Good times.

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After dipping into our giant bag of popcorn

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...we crawled inside our creation...

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...positioned the TV so that we could see it from inside, and watched us some Harry Potter.
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I love that for days afterward, I kept finding Andrew in there: talking on the phone, working on homework, or chillin' in front of a movie. =)

Rhonda,

I received LOTS of compliments today. =)

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Tributes to our mothers

Rhonda, you make really cute babies...I'm sure glad.
(Look at those eyes!)

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You must have been a super mom in order to raise Andrew so super.
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Andrew says that he got his super strength from you...

Not surprised. Check out those guns! =)
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I can tell where he got all that personality too! =)

Happy Mother's Day! We're both grateful for you.

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I've always been told I look like her...that's just fine with me.

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I sure appreciate her dealing with my crap.

(I was an exceptionally bossy, strong-willed little snot...still working on that.)

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Cool shades, Mom! I'm guessing this was the early 90's??

Mom made for a very happy childhood. Even as a busy, single mother, she worked hard to give us all sorts of enriching experiences:
camping, vacations, museums, days at the park, planetariums, art, dance, and music lessons, plays, hikes...just to name a few. I remember her reading aloud to us often, sharing movies she loved, playing with us in the pool, and chaperoning us on field trips.
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Even more than all that, I remember the times we spent talking and laughing in the living room. We always had such a good time together.

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Mom is one of the few people I know without guile.
She's such a wise, cheerful, good-hearted woman.

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Ahhh, Look at us...aren't we a cute little family? Thanks mom. You did good.

Some people are so modest about their birthdays...

...you know, those people who don't even bother to tell anyone, and so nobody even knows until like, the next week?

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I'm not that kind of person.

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I love my birthday! I promise, it really has nothing to do with presents. It's just my special day, and I want everyone to know it... just 'cause it's happy. I mean, I'm sure glad I was born.

I woke up in the morning to Andrew exclaiming: "Breakfast in bed!" On my bedside table was a glass of chocolate milk and a splendid donut with the sprinkles scrunched up on one side. (anyone familiar with Brian Reagan's comedy?) I've always though donuts were one of the most glorious food inventions ever dreamed up.

At school, as I was checking in homework first thing in the morning, the pile of math sheets were soon joined by a pile of very thoughtful birthday gifts: a candle holder, several candy bars, a stick of gum, a 50 cent piece, a shiny rock, and dozens of notes proclaiming me to be the "best teacher in the whole wide world."

At the end of the day, in the middle of a frustrating lesson on long division, one of my students waltzed into the room with a bouquet of balloons and a huge grin...followed by her mother and a pan of chocolate cupcakes. The class spontaneously burst into song. They had all known about it the entire day, and successfully kept it a secret from me. It was my first surprise party that I was genuinely surprised for.

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After work, Andrew and I made a temple trip to do initiatories.
(I don't know if you can tell in the picture, but it was snowing...yet again.)

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After a Broulim's grocery store run, Andrew and I worked together on my birthday meal of choice. He grilled chicken in the back yard, while I chopped, and boiled, and grated in the kitchen. The result was just about the most beautiful salad I've ever seen.


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The secret to the yummiest of salads?
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Chopped Apples.
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I realize that the temple and a salad doesn't sound like a super, exciting birthday. I still have friends whose birthday would be spent clubbing until all hours of the morning...but as Andrew and I cozied in front of a movie before bedtime, I thought to myself that I really couldn't have planned for a more perfect #24.

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Thanks, for all of the gifts, cards, phone calls, and text messages! =)
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