Dustin's Birthday and New Years Eve

Dustin turned 23 this year! My mom came up on December 26th and gave Dustin his birthday presents then. He got spoiled and got a blue thermal American Eagle shirt. He also got a gift card to Lowe's for $50. I only took video this year and for some reason the videos won't load so I will keep trying!

We celebrated with his family the day of the 31st. We ate lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings and then headed out to Smithfield afterwards for some ice cream cake. I wanted to get him a Cold Stone cake this year because he got us one for our anniversary and we both loved it. I actually took him with me to pick it out because there are so many different kinds. He chose the cookies and creamery cake and boy was it delicious. While we were there, they asked us if we wanted them to write on it. I told them yes of course. I asked them to put Happy Birthday Dustin. He looked and me and told me that was boring. I asked him what would you like it to say? This is what the cake said and he told me if I didn't put it on there, it would ruin his birthday.

For his birthday, I got him an auger for ice fishing which he later told me that he saw the ice auger in my trunk on accident. Oh well. He acted surprised when he got it. His family got him a sled to carry the fishing gear out on the ice and a holder for his fishing pole. 

Later that night, we went out to Maple Grove hot springs in Thatcher, Idaho. I've been wanting to take him here for quite a while but it's a long drive so we hadn't done it until now. It was so much fun. It was snowing just a bit and we had one of the hot pots all to ourselves for a little bit. It was really fun and romantic. I'm really glad we went. If you didn't know, the Poulsen name comes with a history of bad luck so of course on the way home, we got pulled over by a cop. The cop asked us if we had been drinking and we both said no. Since it had been snowing the roads were covered and so Dustin had blew through a stop sign coming down from the hot pots. I think the cop was mainly just checking to see if we had anything to drink. Luckily, we didn't get a ticket.We came home and watched the ball drop and we headed to bed. It's been a good year 2013 now on to 2014! 

Christmas w/ The Warren's, Bry's Birthday, and Rigg's Baby Blessing

Over the 21st and 22nd of December we went up to Rigby to celebrate Christmas, Brylee's birthday, and Riggins baby blessing. It was so much fun! I absolutely love spending time up at my sister's house. In a lot of ways it reminds me of when we were all little. Staying up late playing games, laughing, or just talking take me down memory lane every time. I wish we all lived closer.

We got up to Rigby in the afternoon of the 21st. Rhett wanted my help picking out some balloons for Brylee's party and so Dustin and I went with Rhett to the store. Of course, Rhett let Dustin drive his truck to the store. Dustin was so excited to be able to drive it! Thanks Rhett, now he wants a new one! ;) We went to the store and picked out some cute pink balloons and grabbed a yummy blizzard from Dairy Queen! Whenever I am near a Diary Queen I like to go get a blizzard since we no longer have one in Logan. When we got back to the house, my sisters and my mom had set up a table all decorated with blue with some goodies on it. They were really thoughtful and decided to celebrate my graduation. It was so nice of them and I was totally caught off guard. My Mom had these swiss rolls tied with ribbons. They looked like diplomas rolled up. It was sucha cute idea. I also received cards from my Mom and my sisters! My Mom and Sacia gave me a gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings and some money. My sister gave me those yummy chocolate covered pomegranates which I am totally hooked on. Thanks guys! I HAVE THE BEST FAMILY!

Later that night we celebrated Christmas by exchanging gifts and boy did we get SPOILED! We drew names this year because our family is growing year by year. Sacia drew my name this year. If you don't know Sacia, she is the fashion expert. She always knows what is in. I got a cute green shirt with a tan cardigan! I LOVE it! Thanks Sac!! I drew Taryn's name so I got her a workout shirt and a water bottle.

We made the boys draw each other this year because let's face it, guys know guys and girls know girls. Dustin gave Rhett some tools. Rhett spoiled Dustin, in fact he is in trouble for it! Dustin got new handle grips for his dirt bike, a gas tank, and a flag holder for when he goes to the dunes! We really did get spoiled!

On the morning of the 22nd, Riggins was blessed. Unfortunately, being the family we are, we missed the dang blessing. We were only like 8 minutes late and it was over. I was so disappointed. :( I'm sure it was a great blessing and fortunately someone recorded it. I don't know if you guys know but my brother in law is an awesome person. I really look up to him and he is the BEST dad. I didn't get Rigg's full outfit in a picture. This is the closest one I got. It was such a cute outfit. I will need to steal one from my sister at some point.

Brylee's birthday is on the 22nd of December so naturally we had to spoil the cute little fart. Brylee is my niece and she is a hoot! She is the best at stating the obvious and making it hilarious! :) She has such a cute personality. hen we got to Rigby, she came and hugged me and said, "Briky, it's the last day of me being free!" A couple seconds later I understood what she was saying. It was her last day of being three years old. We were able to celebrate her birthday after the baby blessing. I can't believe how fast the time flies by. I wish they could stay little forever. Now she is FOUR. I can't even believe it. LOVE YOU BRY BRY!

We had such a fun time up in Rigby! I wish we could all see each other more often. The fact we live so far away makes me so sad. Hopefully one day we will all live closer together! LOVE YOU ALL!!!

One Year of Marriage

Well, we made it to our one year mark of being married. It seems that time has flown. I look back and it feels like yesterday that we were saying "I do!"  I love being married! It's one of the best life decisions I have ever made. I definitely chose the right person for me. As time goes on, our relationship grows stronger and I'm very thankful for him every single day. 

One of my favorite things we did on our anniversary was being able to spend time together. We don't get to do that very often. He spoiled me with every Harry Potter movie! I have been wanting to own them for years. He also took me to dinner and we went to see a movie! It was a lot of fun and I'm grateful to have a husband that is so thoughtful. 

We have kept super busy during this last year. Dustin decided to put his business mind to work and dabble in a few projects and I'm just doing the same old working and going to school full time! In February, we purchased a triplex. The place we bought is separated into the attic, a main floor, and a basement. We already had tenants that were signed up and the girl that was living in the top unit had turned in her two weeks notice. So, we decided to move into it. Dustin put his construction skills to the test to makeover the top unit for us to live in. He was working more than full time at work and then he was coming home to the triplex to do the same thing he had already been doing all day. He is such a hard worker. 

Before the summer started, we were thinking of going out and selling. We were exploring our options and then Dustin's dad approached him about building a house for the summer. At this point, we still weren't sure what the heck we were going to do and the next thing you know, we were pouring a foundation for Dust's first speck house he has ever done. This house has kept him busy for the entire summer. It was actually fun for me to help him with the house and it was good to spend some long days with him. When I work with him, I gain such a greater understanding of what a hard worker he is. I was able to help him tar the foundation, shingle the roof, install doors and doorknobs, and help do all of the cleaning. By the end of the day, I was exhausted, my body ached everywhere, and more than anything, the heat took it out of me. The sad part is, I didn't even do that much work. Construction is just hard on your body because you are in awkward positions and angled surfaces all the time. It takes every muscle in your body to do what he does. Fortunately, the end of the summer is here and he is just putting the finishing touches on it this week. It really turned out beautiful and I'm so proud of him for making it all happen. By the way, he is offering $500 to the person that finds a buyer for it. 

Now we are all the way September and I'm set to graduate in December. I'm going to have my Bachelors in Health Education and Promotion. The plan for now is to take the exam to become a Lactation Consultant where I will help new moms learn how to nurse their babies. I'm so excited to be done with school and am so ready to jump into an actual career! 

I'm really excited for the future and what we have planned. Dustin is already coming up with more ideas! I don't know if next year can top this one but I'm hopeful that we can do it! :) 

Summer Time

We are loving summer so far! We just got back from a fun trip to Vegas. Getting Dustin to go on vacation is hard work. He hates missing work and spending the money so it takes a lot of work to get him to go. I finally convinced him only 3 days before we were supposed to leave to actually go. Do you know how we settled this little battle? We did rock paper scissors.... and I WON!!

The main reason we wanted to go to Vegas was because Shania Twain was doing her show in Vegas. I've always loved listening to her and Dust has always been a fan since he was little. He wanted to go in December but we just couldn't make the timing work. Anyway, the timing finally worked out for the both of us so we decided to go. 

When we were trying to find our seats, a lady came to help us to our seats. She was asking us to not take pictures or video and Dust was giving her crap about how he wanted to video it. The lady asked us how big of fans we were and we said pretty big fans. She came later and said she would try and make something happen but no promises. I turned to Dust and said how cool would that be if we got pulled up on stage. Dust said yeah don't get your hopes up. About half way through the show, the lady showed up and told Dustin to come with her. I had no idea where he had gone and he was no where to be found for the next couple songs. Finally I spotted him right in front of the stage. Shania had her husband ask the ushers to find someone that was a big fan to come up on stage and our usher chose Dust. Shania's husband took him up to the stage and he got to go sing a few songs. I was so mad that they didn't allow video or pictures. Luckily they took a picture for us and posted it on her website so we could print it off. After they got done singing, Shania grabbed Dustin's hand and pulled the group off stage.He loved every second of it. Shania's show was amazing. Dustin had a grin on his face the entire time and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was a blast!

Also we have been spending a lot of time fishing. We have been to First Dam, Second Dam, Newton, Mantua, Cutler, and Hyrum. I love going fishing because it's so relaxing. You get to talk, listen to good music, laugh, enjoy each other, and let the sun shine on us. This weekend we went to Newton with Kenny, Jamie, and Jordan. We caught 7 perch all together. The tiger muskees were really active and kept jumping out of the water pretty close to our boat.  I do not know why people go swimming in Newton! Their teeth are sharp and the fish itself is creepy looking. 

We went to Mantua on Sunday with Brady, Kayli, and their friend Zack. I caught a trout and Dust caught another perch. It was really fun because we have never fished Mantua and I don't go fishing with my brother much. It sure was fun having me a catch a fish and having my brother not catch a dang thing!!! :) He is an avid hunter and it was fun to beat him at something! Love you Brady!
Cutler was Tom and Traci's idea. We had never been to this fishing spot but had heard it was really good. It wasn't so good for us. We each caught a little mudcat, but that doesn't mean that we didn't have fun!! We love hanging out with Tom and Traci!! :) The sucky thing is, that next day, my brother in law caught a good size catfish in the same exact spot!!
Our most recent trip was fishing at Hyrum. This was a little bit more of a successful trip! We went with Kenny, Jamie, and Jordan. Kenny caught a fish, Jordan caught a fish, and I caught 5. All of our fish were rainbow trout. It was really fun and we had fish fry later that night!
Needless to say, the summer is treating us really good!! I hope everyone's summer is going great!  :)

5 Years

Well this post is going to be a mushy one so if you don't like mushy posts, you better stop reading! Today, March 1st, marks 5 years that Dust and I have been together! It has seriously gone by sooo fast. I'm so glad I married this guy. He makes me smile everyday!! Whenever I'm having a bad day, I go home and he is there to cheer me up! He has a very caring and loving personality. 

If you know Dustin, you probably know that he is always looking to help someone in need. Over the years, he has helped so many people out including family members, neighbors, friends, and strangers.  He has a way of being able to relate to any person he meets. When it comes to work, this guy is the hardest worker I know. This winter, he was working outside in -16 degree weather! I felt so bad everyday for him. Another word that comes to mind when thinking about Dust is determination. When he says he will do something, he means it and there is no going back. Dustin pushed through high school and college like it was nothing. I envy how fast he got done with college! All these qualities make him the great person that he is. I love him more than anything! He has been my best friend through the good times and the hard times. He makes me want to be a better person.

The thing I like best about Dustin and I is that we can have so much fun together! We both really enjoy bowling and its usually a weekly occurrence for us to go bowling at Logan Lanes.  We are really excited for it to warm up because we love going fishing together and LOVE going for motorcycle rides. Last summer, we went fishing almost every weekend and even bought ourselves a cute little fishing boat. We ride the motorcycle lots in the summer!! We usually find time to go for a ride with Kenny, Jamie, and Jordan! Vegas is one of our favorite spots to go. We have been there a handful of times together and we love going to the pool and relaxing in the hot sun. It's a good and cheap getaway. Rodeos are always a must! They are a lot of fun to go to and occasionally, Dust will get a little crazy and dress up as a cowboy. :) You just have to love him!! Summer is our favorite time of year obviously! We spend lots of time doing fun things all summer long and I really enjoy spending the time with him! :) 

Teddy Bear Run

Tiny Catfish

Our Fishing Boat and a Very Dorky Headlamp

The Biggest Fish Dust Has Caught 

He will KILL me if he knows I put this on!! This was the Preston Night  Rodeo last summer. 

LOVE HIM!!

I LOVE YOU BABE!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT HAS BEEN 5 YEARS! :)

Families Are Forever

This week I just wanted express how grateful I am for eternal families. Our family has had two close friends pass away. Although it is very sad and hard, I feel its comforting to know that one day, we will meet again. There are many that don't believe this and I'm sure it's such a tragedy when a death happens. How sad would that be to not know this concept of life after death? 

Not too long ago, my cousin Justin died at the young age of 22. When I got the news, it hit me pretty dang hard. The hardest part about it all was he was so young. He also left behind a little baby boy Tytan. As I was sitting through the funeral services for Charlotte Nixon today, I couldn't help but have flashbacks of his funeral. It was one of the hardest times in my life when Justin passed. I always get so emotional at funerals because I can relate to the feeling of losing someone so special and close. Even though I know that we will be reunited again one day, its still hard to not be able to see them. There are days when I miss him uncontrollably and just sob, and there are days that I'm just fine. He is always in my thoughts. I don't think that will ever change and I don't want it to change. Just like any day, there are going to be bad days and good ones. It gets a little easier with time but that loss never fades. Instead of a sharp heartache, now its a dull heartache. 

Sometimes I question why we have to go through such hard trials. Then I thought back to a talk by Elder Neil Andersen, "These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger." I've been told this since I was a little girl that every trial has its own purpose. As I've gotten a little older, I'm starting to understand it better. Just remember when you are going through a trial, it will eventually get easier. The feeling of a loss never completely leaves, it just becomes more manageable as time passes. What I've learned most is to cherish your loved ones always. You never know when you are going to get another "curve-ball" thrown at you. Death comes at any time no matter how young or old. All we can do, is to try and make the best of it.  One day, we will be reunited, that's what helps me get through the hard days.

My heart goes out to the family of Charlotte Nixon and also to Blake Winward's family. I'm truly sorry for your loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  

Thanksgiving Time

Well since Thanksgiving is coming up, I would like to list a few things that I'm thankful for:

-Dustin: This guy is such a hard worker. Honestly, I wish I had his drive and motivation. He goes out and works in this cold weather for 8+ hours a day and I don't know how he does it. It would be really hard for me to get up and do that to provide for us. He just keeps plugging along and I really do appreciate his hard work!

As you can tell, they are both exhausted!

Us at the corn maze. Enjoying some hot chocolate.

-Tuffy: He is our cute chorkie. There is nothing better than coming home to his adorable face. His tail is wagging and he is always so happy to see us after we get done with work or school. He keeps both of our spirits up and we love having him around. 

This is what Tuffy does ALL DAY LONG! Lucky dog.

-Family: Where do I begin? We have such great family surrounding us. Everyone is so nice to invite us over and cook dinner for us. I'm glad we have so many different families to split our time between. If it wasn't for family, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's great to have so many people that support us. I'm grateful for every single one of you. LOVE YOU ALL!!

All my cute sisters

Mom's Side

My Grandma Mary

My newest family minus Jarren- Wedding Day

Halloween Last Year with my siblings Brittany and Brady

Girls Weekend

Two Sisters- Bridal Shower

Last Christmas- Dad's Side

Halloween 2012- Mom's Side

Cutest Nieces

Tuffy's Best Friend- Giving Hugs

Corn Maze with Kayli and Brady

Mom's Birthday Last Year

Mom with her Favorite Grand-kids, minus Tuffy

My grandpa's 70th b-day

 -Great Friends: We have got some great friends. They are all very nice people. It's always a good time out with friends whether its going to the hot springs or going to watch a redbox at a friends. The company is always nice to have and thanks to all those who are close to us and have been by our sides for a long time. 

This girl has been my best friend for years! Love you Blair

My other best friend that has been close to me for the last couple years

These guys are always a blast to hang out with. Kinda goofy but we like them anyway!

-Education: I'm so thankful to be able to go to college everyday. At times, it seems a bit tedious, but I just keep plugging along and I'm set to graduate either this summer (if I want to go to summer school) or this Fall (if I decide I don't want to do summer school). That itch to be done is driving me crazy. In the end, it will be worth the hard work and effort.

Dustin already has his bachelors degree in entrepreneurship. He graduated last Spring. He is looking to start a job in that area. For the time being, we might either start flipping houses or invest in some duplexes. We are so glad he has a degree! In the future, he might go back and get his Masters.

Dustin at Graduation- Spring 2012

-Jobs: Dustin and I are so grateful that we have jobs. We have great jobs that we both enjoy. Several people don't have the opportunity of having a job and it's a really hard task to find one so for that we are grateful!


We hope you all have an awesome Thanksgiving!! :)