Updates

It's been a really long time since we've updated the blog, and when I say "we" I really me "I" considering Jared only posts about once every year. Anyway, here's a quick update on what we've been up to during the past couple of months.

- I've been having fun being a TA for business calculus again this semester

- Jared has been as busy as every trying to get projects finished, he's almost done, just another few months of school left!

- We went down to STG to go mountain biking again with our friends and with Mikell. The weather wasn't the best, but it was still really fun!

- Jared has gone to a couple different portfolio reviews in SLC and he's gotten some really great feedback about his portfolio, everybody says it looks awesome. He won't admit it, but he's one of the best students in his class, and BYU's graphic design program is one of the best in the country, so he's pretty good.

- Speaking of how great Jared is, some of his portfolio pieces got selected into a graphic design show in SLC. The show is sponsored by a design group called AIGA, and every year they do a 100 Show that honors the 100 best graphic design projects that are turned in by professional studios and graphic design students from SLC and surrounding areas. It's a pretty cool accomplishment for Jared!

- I have been working really hard on my thesis this semester. I've finished my thesis proposal (which is about the first 50 pages of a thesis, not the whole thing sadly) and I will defend it in about a month, wish me luck!

- We've been watching alot of basketball lately. It was fun to watch BYU and Jimmer, but sadly the college season will be over tomorrow.

- This past weekend we spent up in Kaysville hanging out with Jared's siblings. We got to meet his brother's fiance for the first time. Her name is Crystal and she's really cool! They are getting married in May and we are exited to go up to the wedding in Portland.

This is all I can think of right now, if I think of anymore I'll add it to the list. Overall, things are really good though. We are in the home stretch of this semester, so in a few more weeks, things will be even better. Jared has been looking around for jobs in the Provo/SLC area as well as out of state, but nothing hasn't gotten an offer anywhere yet. Pray that he can find something in the next couple of months!

I Feel a Need to Clarify

In response to the comments of my last post, I (Jared) am forced to write a rebuttal on my own behalf.

Firstly, while many may believe yams to be orange and soft when cooked, they are actually most often darker than a regular potato (sometimes almost black). The fleshy parts of the inside vary in color depending on the outside darkness, but are almost never an orange tint. They can even have a purple color. They are also actually much longer than what we in the U.S. think yams are. Here is a picture as an example.

Secondly, there are 3 major varieties of sweet potatoes grown in the United States. The majority are grown in the South, somewhere down in the bayou. One variety is nearly the exact same consistency and color of a regular potato. Another has a slightly yellow color, and the third is orange. Here is a picture of traditional sweet potatoes.

Now you might be telling yourself, "Silly Jared, those are yams, not sweet potatoes." This brings me to my last point. In the South, and other areas, the orange variety of sweet potatoes are commonly referred to as "yams" (even though they actually are not). Because of this, many recipes, cooks, stores, common folk, dogs, cats, and even children refer to them as "yams". So when you go to the grocery store and buy a "yam" you are actually buying a sweet potato. Hence, my post that yams and sweet potatoes are one and the same.

My theory is people started calling them by their real name instead of yams because everyone knows that yams are disgusting, but when you say it is a sweet potato it doesn't sound too bad. Sweet potato fries are delicious, but you might as well call them "yam fries".... mmmmmmmm.

HA, put that in your pipe and smoke it!

My Rare Blog Post

This will be only the second time that I have ever written a blog post, but this experience needs mentioning. The setting was in the grocery store this evening:

Stacie (after about 5 minutes looking around): I can't find the sweet potatoes.

Jared: They are right there on the end of the aisle.

Stacie: Where? I don't see them... I don't think they have any.

Jared: They are right there, next to the regular potatoes.

Stacie: Those are yams, we need sweet potatoes.

Jared: Ummm... they are the same thing.

Stacie: Really...

The best part was after that Stacie kept trying to tell me yams weren't sweet potatoes and another dude behind her was nodding to me, mouthing the words, "They are the same thing."

On another note. I have successfully fixed three things in our apartment as of late. Our garbage can lid now stays closed without duct tape, our DVD remote works again, and I fixed our onion chopper tonight. I may have the makings for a regular handyman after all.

Snow Shoe(ing) (spelling?!)

Today we decided to go up Provo Canyon to do some snow shoe(ing) I really don't know how to spell that but oh well! I've never been before, which is crazy since Jared and I have been together for almost three years (dating + marriage time) and he's obsessed with all things snow! It was a perfect day to go, not too cold, fresh snow and good company! Now we are back at home watching the BYU vs. SDSU game and later we are going out to dinner with the sibs and Te-Te (my aunt), so overall a great day!

We had to traverse across this

log-of-doom!

Those ladies in the background were

cross country skiing

I came around the corner and this is what I saw...

He was trying to run during the downhill parts! haha

Hardcore up the hill!

I was a little nervous about crossing over on that log!

Jared's attempt to "jump" down the hill. . . ha

I'm lovin me some Jimmer & Co. they were amazing today, how about those three balls?!?!!!!

Stuff

Well the past couple of months have been ridiculously busy for both of us trying to keep up with school. This semester has been pretty intense for me the faculty is putting alot of pressure on the grad students to work on our thesis. Run down of the typical school day average of 3 hrs spent on work, 1.5 hrs in class and 4 hrs on thesis with maybe 1 hour of down time if I am lucky. Granted I am getting alot done, but it's burning me out real fast. Jared's schedule isn't much better, typical day for him average of 2 hrs on work, 2 hrs in class and probably 6 hrs on his school projects. Luckily Jared gets done in June and will be on to bigger and better things! We did get a chance to head down to STG a few weeks ago with our good friends Brent and Ashley to go mountain biking. Of course STG is the only place around that can provide you with 70 degree weather in January! Most people are blogging about how great their V-day was, and not that ours wasn't great but we kept it pretty low key. Jared got me a very simple but pretty gold ring a couple of weeks ago, and couldn't wait till V-day to give it to me, so that was the technically the big surprise from him! I am lame and didn't get him anything, but I figured boys don't really expect much. We had a fun night making homemade pizza and just taking a break from school for the night. Hope everybody else had a fun day!

Jared was very excited

The crew

We are hardcore!

Sorry, its a bit blurry

I may have busted a fingernail playing

basketball, who's really surprised about that though?!

And I never really noticed how crooked my fingers are till now!

The Bach

Make fun of us if you want, but Jared and I started watching the Bachelor(ette) with a few other couples friends this past summer. One couple, Blakely and Lindsey Cragun moved down to Texas in September and we've missed watching it with them this season! Linds says she misses my cynical comments during each episode, so Linds, it's your lucky day because we kept a running commentary tonight! (Chase and Dana weren't feeling good, so we just watched it by ourselves)

-Chantal wears too much blush, blah!

-Poor Emily

-Michelle is a freak show!

-Drive a little faster Britt, you’re going about 15 mph

-The producers are evil for making Emily go on this date

-I’d be forcing a smile too if I were Emily too!

-Poor Brad, feeling like a jerk

-She’s very gracious, I just like her

-You can do it!!

-She’s got guts

-Oh gosh, grow up girls, Emily has just been through a traumatic experience!!

-Wow that Ali girl is sketch, get over yourself!

-Ali, just go home

-All of the girls cry in front of him, Chantal, big deal

-Don’t do it, don’t cry, don’t cry

-Stop complaining!

-Yeah just casually drop the L bomb in there

-Smooth. . .

-Crap she did cry

-Brad: “Don’t cry babe” gag, me!

-Hello Brad, 8 girls on one date, of course they are going to be emotional!

-“They are all psychopaths!” (Jared about all the girls)

-Come on Chantal, have some self-confidence, you don’t need a man to make you feel special!

-Did I already mention that Michelle is a freak show?!

-Michelle: “There are a lot of immature girls here. . . “ Yeah just like you

-“Your’re retarded for liking her (Michelle)” (Jared in reference to Brad)

-“Oh he likes her a lot Stace!” (Jared about Emily)

-Why is he wearing sunglasses inside??

-Nothing speaks romance like swinging around in a circle and having some random man hold you up 20 feet up in the air. . . by your ankle. . . and upside down nonetheless

-“They’re gonna drop on their faces and it’s gonna be funny!” (Jared)

-Ashley S. is a super awkward dancer, I could do better than that!

-Those poor people who have to watch the amateurs during the show

-Ha, is he wearing spandex?

-Just send one home, don’t try to make them feel better before you break it off with one of them!

-“I bet his therapist told him to follow his heart. . .” (Jared)

-It’s okay Ashley S. you’re too young for him anyway

-“He kept the psychopath!” (Jared)

-“I’ll punch you in the stomach, do you want me to punch you in the stomach???” (Jared in reference to Ashley S.)

-“Is she throwing up? Because it sounds like it” (Jared)

-Perfect background music for Ashley S. as she bawls in the limo

-LOL Jared likened Ashley S’s departing throw up sounds to Lloyd’s facial reaction after he sees Harry with Mary on Dumb and Dumber!!

-Of course he calls his therapist, he can’t handle his own dating life, come on Brad, shape up!

-The therapist's lines are scripted, who really talks like that??

-Chantal's hair is greasy, eww! And her bangs need some serious help

-If you don't need drama in your life Brad, then you'd better get rid of at least half those girls!

-There's no way he remembered Ali wore green on the first night! Somebody replayed him the video from the first night!

-Oh crap, is Marissa going to give him a note?? Way to take us all back to the 9th grade!

-Michelle is attacking him!!

-He looks really uncomfortable right now. . .

-"Shut up, I hate her, she's like dominatrix!!" (Jared about Michelle)

-"Gosh, punch her in the face!" (Jared in response to Michelle getting a rose)

-I like Jackie's smile

-Don't cry, he's not worth it

-Uh, you were rejected, of course you are going to feel like that!

What'd you think?! We're rooting for Emily and Jackie, they are the only normal ones in the whole bunch!

Wessy's Birthday!

I need to give a birthday shout out to my little brother Wess (aka Wessy, Snipes, Snipers, Bubba etc.) who turned the big 22 today! I am blessed to have some awesome siblings, and even more blessed that three out of four of us live in the Provo/Orem area with our spouses. Jared and I love hangin out with our family! Hope it was a great day Wessy, and I hope you did something more fun than studying all day, love you!

Baha, I love this picture! Thanks to Meliss

for posting it on her blog so I could steal it!