you can't put a price on sexy...

Wow! Time Does Fly!

2012-01-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

I've realized that life with a baby makes everything go by faster! Not trying to sound cliche, but it seriously feels like Phoenix was just a newborn! Sebastian reminded me this morning that in a few days Phoenix is going to be 8 months old! Whaaat?!?! (Psych reference for those viewers) And since I last blogged about Phoenix being 5 months old, I'll give a quick highlight of what is going on with the Stricklers with an almost 8 month old!

Let's start with the Phoenix boy! At his 6 month appointment he was weighing in at 19 lbs and 27 inches long! He's a big guy! He has 4 teeth--2 top, 2 bottom--and he LOVES eating! He goes through baby food like no one's business! He's crawling and pulling himself up on everything and getting into everything as well! (Keeping us on our toes and constantly chasing him around!)

He's walking along all the furniture and we think that he's going to start walking on his own soon. (insert sarcastic "yay!" right here!) He also is a fan of music and loves dancing to music. He plays pat-a-cake and says "Dada", "Mama", and "yay"! We're so proud of him! (if you couldn't tell by the whole list of brags I came up with! haha!) The only thing he's lacking is....hair. We're seriously considering is a toupee.

(Did I also mention that he's quite the equestrian as well?? He oft rides in the country side in the morn)

Now onto Phoenix's parents....we're good. Obsessed with this baby! The end.

Haha! Just jokes! We're doing great! We kiss Phoenix more than he likes and we laugh and play and lose sleep with him! (another sarcastic "yay" please)
I've just been working and keeping it real! The best thing to happen to me is my domination of cookies! I finally mastered the art of cookie making!!!! Holla! So, to our diet's dismay, I'm making cookies multiple times a week--woops! But I am doing zumba almost everyday so it cancels the cookies out, right??? :)
Sebastian is awesome! He's rocking school--taking most of his classes online and doing a great job staying on top of it all! Sebastian is super crazy about his baby boy Phoenix! He's also going to start playing Hurling (Irish field hockey) soon! Yay!
But Strickler life is good! We have some great adventures coming up and we're loving life!

Baby Phoenix

2011-07-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well, he's 5 weeks old and I better blog about him and introduce him! He's Phoenix Lysander Strickler and we are so in love with him! He's the perfect baby--I couldn't have asked for a better baby! Let's start with "The Story"... :)

It was June 1st and Phoenix's due date and Sebastian was sick. He didn't feel well and slept most of the day. He had a fever that evening and, of course, that's when I started having contractions! So between taking care of Sebastian and having contractions, I didn't get much sleep! About 3am, the contractions were getting pretty regular and by 9am they were 10 minutes apart and getting closer and closer! I called the Dr office at 11:30am and was told to call back at 2pm when my contractions were closer together and more intense! Needless to say, I was pretty annoyed about having to wait! But, by noon the contractions were every 4-5 minutes and oober painful, and, of course, EVERYONE in the Dr office was at lunch when I called at 12:25pm! So, Sebastian and I gathered our bags and drove to the hospital. (The whole way I was telling Sebastian to drive faster--but I'm pretty sure driving 70mph on highway 20 is plenty fast!)
We were admitted in to the hospital at 2:30pm and I was at 5cm dilated (all the nurses were impressed with how long I labored at home! I felt like a hot-shot!)

So, then came the moms (my mom and Sebastian's mom) and a short 6(ish) hours after being admitted to the hospital, extreme back labor, and an epidural that didn't quite work...it was time to push! And 45 minutes later, Phoenix was born! (Side note: the Dr barely made in time--she walked in putting her booties on as his head was coming out!)
But he was healthy and hefty--weighing 9lbs 7oz, 20 1/2 inches long!

We're so blessed to have such a great baby! We've loved the past 5 weeks and just can't get enough of him! I feel super grateful to have Sebastian to help me--he even takes the night shifts with the baby so I can sleep! Love him!!! :)
Here are the most recent pictures of our sweet baby boy!

Disneyland and Pregnancy...

2011-04-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

You may ask yourself, "what is a gal to do when she's 34 weeks pregnant??" Well, the answer is simple! She must spend the weekend in Disneyland!
Here's how it all went down...
As you may recall, I worked at DisneyWorld the summer before Sebastian and I got married! Yay for the fun! And when I came back and started going to school again, I was a Campus Rep for the College Program and during that time I earned two 1-day park hoppers! Which I forgot about until I recently received an email informing me that they were expiring April 30th! So, being the crazy and spontaneous kids we are, we took advantage of the last week I can travel before the baby comes and headed down to Disneyland! :)

On the tram to Disneyland! Sebastian didn't have any idea what sort of fun was in store! (and I couldn't contain my excitement!!!) We started the morning in Disneyland!

Sebastian's first Disney ride--The Jungle Cruise! We could only go on the more "mellow" rides due to my fragile state (I did try to trick to Sebastian onto letting me go on a couple bigger rides!) It was great because we could experience the park more and less of the crazy lines :) But, we already are looking at when to go back so we can ride those big rides! (If I have it my way, next stop will be DisneyWorld!)

In line for one of my favorites--Peter Pan's Flight :)

Sebastian's first Mickey Ears! Styled after R2D2 with Sebastian's name on the back! I forgot to bring mine, but Sebastian proudly wore his all day! :)

One thing I was looking forward to the most...a Mickey Premium Bar. It's like mana from Heaven. promise.

California Adventure in the afternoon!

The LONGEST line, but SOO worth it! Toy Story Mania! So much fun and a new favorite for the Stricklers!

And...I kicked Sebastian's butt at Toy Story Mania! (and I wasn't even trying!)

Dreams really do come true....

It was such a great weekend and we had some much-needed time together! Life has been crazy with both of us working opposite schedules and Sebastian going to school and getting ready for the baby that I feel like we haven't had time to be together for the past month! So I'm really glad we were able to do one last crazy thing together before the baby comes! Thanks Sebastian for being so wonderful and taking your crazy Disney-obsessed 34 1/2 week pregnant wife to Disneyland!!! :) I love you so much! :)

Pregnancy...

2011-02-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

So, I have realized that the more pregnant I get, the more like a 7 year old I become--in regards to food, that is. My cravings are ridiculously child-like that it cracks me up! Here is what our fridge/cupboards hold for this 24 week pregnant gal....
-soft pretzels
-ice cream
-cinnamon rolls
-chocolate bars
-peanut butter
-nachos
-toaster strudels
And to top it all off...I just recently purchased Gummi Prenatal Vitamins! If that's not exactly like a 7 year old then I don't know what is! :)
But, on the more healthy side...I am in love with milk, apples, berries, and granola :)
We're all doing well--I know, it's been forever since my last post! But, life is good in the Strickler house! Sebastian's kicking serious butt at school and I'm curing all sorts of nasty eye diseases at work! Our baby is doing great! He's a mover and shaker--kicking me all the time! He's due June 1st and we're so anxious to meet him! (and to see if he'll have his dad's HUGE nose!) haha!

2010-12-27T10:10:00.001-08:00

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Dreams Truly Do Come True!

2010-11-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

It is a fact that I want to be Lady Gaga and have Freddie Mercury as my man. Well, my dreams came true in the form of Halloween-it truly was a Halloween miracle!

My Mr. Mercury (Wembley style!)

Rock Royalty? I think so!

Po-po-po-poker face!

Up-close of Carissa's make-up work! (and I just noticed that my right eye is tweaking a bit!)

But, in conclusion, my dreams did come true and life is bliss :)

The Deep South!

2010-06-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, I FAIL at blogging!!! I've been so busy (new job!) that I've hardly had time to remember to take a shower, let alone remember that I haven't blogged about our AMAZING trip that happened about a month ago!!! Sheesh!
But, here it goes....our trip to Mississippi was unforgettable and I loved every minute of it! (except for maybe the red headed child next to me who was throwing up on the flight down there and her father, who was sitting uncomfortably close, on the other side of me--didn't make sense!) But, the trip was great! My family LOVED Sebastian and Sebastian loves them! And, almost as important, Sebastian loves the South! (He's already planning our next trip down there!) But, here's our trip in pictures!

Jaiden LOVED his first plane ride (he actually started whining when we had to get off the plane!)

Uncle was SO excited to have Jaiden there--they had to sleep together! Such buddies :)

New Orleans the next day, or the day that Jordan just said, "Hi Jaiden, I'm Jordan!" and he was in love with her! (He wouldn't go to anyone else but Jordan!)

Bourbon Street--where we saw plenty of nudey bars!

Family picture!

We had a great lunch with Alice! Love her so much!!!

And we had just enough energy to go swimming!

Sebastian's first time in the Gulf of Mexico!

(Let's protect our Gulf Coast!!!)

Dog pile on Sebastian! Three of my favorite men!

How is this not adorable?! (Jaiden made that pose on his own--no one told him to do that!)

Happy Graduation, Jordan! :)

This is just a brief synopsis of our incredible trip! I love it and had SO much fun!!! :) Hurrah for good friends, family, and food!!!--which basically sums up Mississippi.

Oregon, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon

2010-04-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

11 days on the open road and we still love each other. It's a miracle! :) In December, we started planning a trip. A road trip. The biggest and greatest road trip ever. It is a road trip that could even rival Goofy and Max's road trip on A Goofy Movie. Instead of giving a run through of our trip with tons of pictures (all of which are on facebook), I thought I'd talk about the people on our trip! This trip was incredible because of the people we spent time with--such wonderfully amazing people! :) So, here are the people of our 3,000 mile road trip through seven states!

Our first stop was Kennewick, Washington to spend the night with my grandparents! We love them so much and it was fantastic to spend time with them! They are full of great stories and always have the funnest things to say! :)

Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures with them, but we did take pictures at the Columbia River Temple, which is right next to them! :)

Next stop was Rexburg, Idaho! Not my favorite climate, but I love the people there! :) Best friends are truly the best friends, and that's who we found in Rexburg!

Sebastian and Chad enjoying some Ramirez!

Micah and I not missing a photo opportunity in Porters!

Next stop was Provo, Utah to visit some mission people (the Billings family and Derek Noyes--Sebastian's last companion--both of which we unfortunately didn't get pictures with! But we love them still the same!!!) Also in Provo were more best friends!

Mark and Sebastian! Never a better friend than Mark :)

Karleigh was too kind to entertain with a bum foot! (and to send me all the stuff I forgot!--Thanks again, Karleigh!!!)

Brer Corinne! (Seville's Disney friend!) at Hogle Zoo! Epic adventures, as always!

After spending good times with good friends in Provo, we jetted down to Cedar City, Utah! This was Sebastian's second area on his mission, and he hadn't been there since he served there--so about 4 years! We stayed with the Garners--a fantastic family who I was thrilled to meet! And, funny story, their son served part of his mission in Albany, and I had actually met him while he was serving here! Small world, huh??

"Mama" Garner

And the dog, Piper, who used to not be a fan of Sebastian--miracles do happen!!

We did visit some more amazing families while in Cedar City, but failed to take pictures (which I'm now really kicking myself for!)

But after Cedar City, our next destination was St. George--which we absolutely fell in love with! St. George is beautiful and sunny--if you've never been there, we highly recommend it! :) St. George was also Sebastian's first area and, like Cedar City, he hadn't been back to visit since he served there!

The Ashbys--Sebastian taught them when he was a greenie! The gratitude Heidi had to him was incredible and made me realize how important missionary work truly is! Way to be, Husband! :)

And now we're to the Rogers--the family we stayed with in St. George! What a brilliant family! We love the Rogers family! They were so good to us and we had so much fun with them!!! :)

Our last stop was Vegas, where we stayed with Sebastian's Mom's best friend (so basically Sebastian's Aunt!) We had so much fun as she took us around to see Sebastian's old stomping ground--she's so much like Lisa, it's insane! We also were able to see my cousin and his cousin in their new and adorable house! It was great visiting with them!

Here's us at the Vegas temple...that was quite the adventure trying to find it!

And another adventure had was with Melissa, who thought that we were going in the entrance of Stripburger and didn't realize until we began to order that we were in a mexican restaurant :)

Our trip was full of wonderful people that truly made our trip as wonderful as it was! I loved seeing old friends and being able to catch up, visiting with family, and meeting the people who loved my husband while he was serving a mission. I am so grateful for all those who let us crash with them and for all who took time to see us! And a special thanks goes out to all the "mission families" we visited--thank you for being so good to Sebastian and making his mission so wonderful. Your kindness means so much more than you'll know :)

Our Cute Little Place!

2010-03-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

We moved! I know this is old news, but I haven't been able to blog about it yet!!! The entire process of finding a place, getting approved, and moving took about 2 weeks total...it's been really crazy! But, we love our place and we're so happy to have a Strickler Abode! (Thanks to Mom and Calvin for letting us crash with them for 6 months! We love you guys!)
But, here are some pictures of our cute abode! We're not finished decorating yet, so please forgive the bare walls! (they won't be bare for too long...I can't handle the white walls!)

The day we moved in....a little tired :)

Our cute kitchen! The sign above the sink, made by Miss Micah Henneke, says "Music is the Prayer the Heart Sings"

Our "Family" wall

And the entertainment center! We have no TV, so we watch movies on our laptop for entertainment! And Carissa is making us a canvas painting for that nasty bare wall!

It's a work in progress, but we love it so much! Our first little Strickler Abode! Thanks again to all those who sent us gifts for the wedding---we loved opening them up again while unpacking! It was like Christmas all over again! :)

My New Obsession.

2010-02-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

Yoga. Never done it before--only pilates, thinking that the two were similar. Boy, was I wrong! Last night, Carissa and I went to a yoga class and I am officially obsessed! My favorite parts were when we did aversions, which involved headstands! (I've never done a head stand in my life ever, so that was a miracle!) And I loved the end of class where we laid on our mats in the dark while the instructor read "The Warrior's Prayer" by Stuart Wilde. This was such a powerful moment for me and I love this prayer. I hope you find some of goodness in it...

I am what I am.

In having faith in the beauty within me, I develop trust.

In softness I have strength.

In silence I walk with the gods.

In peace I understand myself and the world.

In conflict I walk away.

In detachment I am free.

In respecting all living things, I respect myself.

In dedication I honor the courage within me.

In eternity I have compassion for the nature of all things.

In love I unconditionally accept the evolution of others.

In freedom I have power.

In my individuality, I express the God-Force within me.

In service I give of what I have become.

I am what I am:

Eternal, immortal, universal, and infinite.

And so be it.

2 Years Ago Today...

2010-02-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

Here comes another sappy lovey-dovey blog post...so just be prepared for this!!!
2 years ago today, we went on our first date--which is also what we consider to be our "anniversary"! So, I've thought a lot about these last couple years (and still can't believe that we've been together 2 years!--that's a mission!!!), but I am just so grateful for such a great person I've been blessed with to share life together. I'm grateful for his patience and love and understanding--I could not ask for a better person! He's my ultimate best friend and I just love his stinking guts!!!
I'm glad that he took a chance on a silly girl and stuck through it--the good and the bad! And, I am so glad that he was an eager beaver and kissed me on that first date--that's when I knew he was mine! ;) ha!

He's the ice cream to my pazookie and I love him more and more everyday! Thanks for the greatest 2 years of my life!!!

(Pazookie is my favorite dessert--just so you know!)

Us, on our first date! (Sebastian was a bit chubby after the mission!)

Here Comes the Sun! (doo doo doo-doo!)

2010-02-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I can't help but smile when news like this is delivered! (For those who haven't experienced a Willamette Valley winter, you'll never understand) But it all started with Tuesday. It was beautiful and sunny! And it continued on to today...at first overcast, but it was as if God Himself moved those clouds and let the sunshine, let the sunshine in--the SUNSHINE IN!!! :) O my goodness! What a true miracle! And, looking on weather.com, there is forecasted another 6 days of sun with temperatures in the low 60's! HALLELUJAH!!!!
I have discovered that when there is sun, or even the promise of sun, that life is blissful and just all around better! Music sounds better, moods are chipper, going to class is a tiny bit more bearable (although I want to get out to enjoy the sun!), and my toes are finally emerging from their long winter's snooze!
Now, mind you, this warm and dry streak will only last for 5 more days, but it is a well-worth and well-deserved 5 days of life being a little better!
So, here's to you Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun--Please shine down on, please shine down on, please shine down on MEEEEE!!!!!!! :)

The Event of Not Being a Teenager Any Longer!

2010-02-10T22:37:00.000-08:00

My sweet sweet Husband deserves an award for the effort and amazing birthday he gave me--that's all there is to it! He's a hero for forever!
This was my first birthday we've celebrated together (we've been together for almost 2 years, and we seem to always miss my birthday together!) and it is going in the history books as the best birthday of forever! :)You see, I have the claim that all of February is my birthday--so it all started with Monday, February 1st when my sweet Chuffy Hubby proclaimed that he had a surprise for me! The surprise was a bag of Welch's Fruit Snacks! (The story behind the fruit snacks is that while we were dating we would have fruit snack eating contests--we'd shove a bag's worth of fruit snacks in our mouths and see who could eat them the fastest! (I won everytime!)
The surprise on Tuesday, the 2nd, was a 3-pack of Trident Original Flavor gum! We're fans of gum and fresh breath is a must in our lives, so he gave me 3 packs of my favorite flavor of Trident gum (which is ADA approved!) *By this time, I knew that dear sweet Hubby was turning my birthday to our own celebration of Hannukah! Mazel Tov!*
Wednesday, the 3rd was a bag of Milky Way Midnight minis! (My favorite candy!) And Wednesday was the day Sebastian was vomiting :( Thursday was the movie "Crash", which we watched on Friday and it is amazingly powerful!!! (Good meaning!) Friday was back to school for Sebastian and the new Lady Antebellum cd for me! Which is amazing! :)
So, that brings us to Saturday! There were no surprises on Saturday because we had been planning Saturday for a good while! (Except our plan to go to the temple that afternoon was thwarted due to it being closed for maintenance--curses!) But after Sebastian got off work, we headed up to Portland for the night!!! We stayed in an amazing room which we got a killer deal on!
After getting settled in the hotel room, we decided to hit the town in search of grub!!! It was great just hanging out in Portland without any plans and just wandering around! We stopped at Chipotle for some delicious burritos--we tried going to some local places, but unfortunately, everything around there either had a HUGE line or you had to be 21+ to go into because it had a bar...So Chipotle sufficed and satisified! :)

After that, we headed to Voodoo Doughnuts!
You may have seen it featured on Man vs. Food! It truly is as amazing as it is portrayed on TV! We had to wait in line in the rain to get into Voodoo Doughnuts--but, as I told Sebastian, it was just like waiting in line for a ride at Disney! It was very worth the wait! :) Sebastian got the maple bar with bacon on it (he says it was delicious and wonderful), I got the triple chocolate penetration (chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate frosting and cocoa puffs on top, and we each got the raised doughnut with peanut butter and oreos on top! Needless to say, it was out of this world delicious time!!!!

We went back to the hotel and had a picnic on the bed with the doughnuts and milk!
After relaxing and watching some TV (Mean Girls, to be specific) and having a quick sleep, we got ready for the main event!!! The midnight showing of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW!!! We, of course, dressed up! Sebastian was Brad Majors and I was Magenta!

We hokey pokey-ed our way down to the Clinton Street Theater, where there were hoards of Rocky Horror Fans lined up to get in! Since this was our first time watching the movie at that theater, we were deemed "virgins" and marked with red lipstick V's to show it! The experience of seeing it in the theater is one that is completely unforgettable! :) At first we were unsure of it all (there's just a lot going on during the show), but it started to grow on us--we're actually thinking about going back a second time! After that, it was about 3am, so we pretty much just collapsed once we got back to the hotel!

It was nice being able to sleep in! I think that was my favorite part! We didn't have to set any type of alarm or be up super early, so it was a great and wonderful birthday morning--to be able to sleep in with my wonderful Hubby!
After we got up and going, we took another stroll to Voodoo Doughnuts where this time we got the Voodoo dozen-where they choose the dozen for us-and some hot cocoa!!!
All in all, this has been the best birthday! My sweet Husband truly does deserve an award for giving me the greatest birthday known to man! He's a sweet man and I'm grateful for him! (And, hey!--now I know he really truly loves me!--not every husband would take his wife to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show AND dress up!) I love you Sebastian!

The Tale of the Poor Sick Husband

2010-02-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

It all started with a baby--like most stories do. This baby was a nephew to the Poor Sick Husband this tale is about. The baby began to vomit all sorts of gross things and people came from miles around to pay their sympathies to said baby. Well, a soon-to-be Poor Sick Husband was trying extra hard to be a great Uncle, so he loved this baby and helped take care of the baby--but, unbeknownst to him, the baby was passing his infectious nasties onto this helpful Uncle. This is where the Uncle becomes the Poor Sick Husband.
It was an early Wednesday morn and the alarm was going off much to early to be suitable. The Poor Sick Husband turned to his Lovely Wife and said, "I don't feel well. I'm going to take a shower and I'll probably feel better." The Poor Sick Husband came back into the room a few minutes later only to share the sad sad news that the baby had truly infected him and he had begun to vomit all sorts of gross things. This was a sad predicament for the Poor Sick Husband and his Lovely Wife.
Long story short, 'twas a sad day for the Poor Sick Husband who stayed home all day while his Lovely Wife had to attend classes and work. She longed to be with him and take care of him, but alas, someone must always be bringing home the bacon.
But, this tale does have a happy ending! Because of the Poor Sick Husband's all over fever, his Lovely Wife was warm all night because he was a toasty boasty! And the next day, the Poor Sick Husband became the Happy (Non Sick or Poor) Husband! Just in time for his Lovely Wife's birthday Celebration City tomorrow!
(Stay tuned for posts of the extravaganza!!!)

Back to School....

2010-01-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well, this is a wee bit late--but better to have blogged than to have not blogged at all!
So we started back up to school last week and--if I may be so bold to say--I am ready for it to be over already!!! Our schedules are so crazy busy that most days the only time we see each other is when we get home from work, but at that time we're both working on homework and being exhausted! Sheesh! Will it ever end?! (But, sadly, I have a feeling this term is preparing us for the "real world")
I'm so proud of us though--Sebastian's taking 17 credits between OSU and LBCC! And working over 20 hours at Crossroads! (Yeah--that's my man!!) I'm only taking 9 credits at LBCC (but 5 of those credits is a single chemistry class) and I'm working 2 jobs!! So--it's really no wonder why our time together is limited!
But, this will be good a term! Chins up! :) It will build character and then we're that much closer to being done!!!

Our Thanksgiving and Fun!

2009-11-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

We had the great privilege of having 3 Thanksgivings this year!!! It was a lot of food, a lot of family, and a lot of fun!

#1 Thanksgiving: 22 November 2009 at Sebastian's dad's! It was crazy busy with so many people there! There were 8 of 9 children there (not including their friends and children and significant others), also Grandma Strickler, Larry, Lori, Cathy, and Roger...for a grand total of close to 20 people! It was a mad house, to say the least! But it was a lot of fun and good to see everyone :)

#2 Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving day at my mom's! This wasn't as eventful as #1, but it was still good fun! Unfortunately, Husband Friend had to work all day, so we were able to go to the Turkey Bowl together, but he had to take off before dinner :/
We had the elders over and Betty and Eddie, so it was definitely a little more low key than #1, but it was fun! At about 5ish I took Sebastian dinner and we had our first Thanksgiving together as Hubby and Wifey! It was great spending it at Crossroad's Deli!! But at
least we spent it together :)

#3: 27 November 2009 at Sebastian's Mom's! Instead of the traditional turkey and mashed potatoes, we had italian!!! Spaghetti with Daniel's magic red sauce! And, of course, butter dips and trifle! :) The food was delicious and the company was great--we missed Erin though!

Thanksgiving 2009 was fantastic!!! Although we couldn't actually spend Thanksgiving together because of silly work, we are very thankful for the many blessings in our lives. We are very blessed with fantastic family and friends and we have nothing to complain about :) I love my Husband Friend and I am beyond grateful for him!

Hello Blogging World!

2009-10-07T15:48:00.001-07:00

I promise we have not forgotten about you!!! We have been so so so ooberly busy with everything newlywed students have to do!!! But, a lot has been going on and we will update with pictures just as soon as we can!!! (which should be next week!) Love ya'll!!! --The Stricklers!

Officially Mr and Mrs Strickler!

2009-09-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Well this post is long overdue, but it's here! Our wedding was absolutely wonderful! The temple was fantastic and I love knowing that we're married to each other for forever! I love my best friend and love that he's now my husband!!!!

The ring ceremony and reception....a little more stressful than the temple ceremony...but well worth it! The ring ceremony was beautiful and so wonderful! (I thought so at least!)

We've been Mr and Mrs for a month as of today! How brilliant it has been! I just love my husband friend!

The Ending of an Adventure...finally!

2009-08-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, all my dear blogging friends, this shall be my last blog post from my adventures of my college internship at DisneyWorld! Of course, I couldn't end this adventure without some sort of adventure/mishap! At this exact moment, I am sitting in the Orlando International Airport and will be sitting here for the next seven hours! I arrived here closer to 10am only to find out that I would not be able to try being on standby, therefore I am forced to spend all day in this lovely airport! Luckily, I do have a friend here to pass the time with me! (Corinne--holla.)

So, now time for the thoughtful and deep and penitent moments were I say profound things about my experience...I do fear though that that will not happen! But, how about I start with some of my favorite things of this adventure:

-mishap adventures with Corinne

-Hollywood Studios
-the British Invasion band at Epcot (we only heard them about twice, but they are a favorite)

-the Celtic band in Downtown Disney that we only heard the end of their last song--well done, my friends!

-the people I worked with (for the most part) especially the full time culinaries who cared so much!
-guests who cared and sympathized and who always came to say hello to me :)

-the pool!

-the thunder and lightning storms

-Corinne freaking Patterson, my friend (who also happens to be a baby) I wouldn't have gotten through this program without her!

-Hot Tub Lovers and the Fingerlake Sisters :) (look it up! hulu.com and nbc.com)

-and sticking it out and accomplishing this!

I am so so happy to be done! I feel like I've really done something--even though it was extremely difficult at times...most times! So it's time to get home and get married!

A week from today I'll be Mrs Sebastian and laughing about my eight hour wait in the airport!

Happy Birthday to the Two Main Men in My Life...

2009-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to My Baby Jaiden: Was it seriously a year ago that you were born? Hard to believe!!! So much anticipation for you to join the world and this past year you have been nothing but a blessing to our family! Jaiden Phoenix, I love you so much and I am so excited to continue to watch you grow and learn and smile! (and even more excited that I won't be doing this from a distance!) Happy First Birthday Little Baby Jaiden!

Happy Birthday to My Future Hubby: Sorry I wasn't there at your birth like I was at Jaiden's, but that would've just been weird!!! And, I'm sorry that I'm not there to celebrate your 23rd birthday with you--but you know that I'm only thinking of you on this great day! I should send your Mom and Dad a card thanking them for having you--they were swell people to do that! :) But, my dear Sebastian, I am looking forward to spending every birthday with you from now on--even when we're wrinkly and can't eat cake because it gives us gas and indigestion! Happy Birthday Buck!

I'm so happy to have these two men in my life! YAY for them for being born and having birthdays! :) So, I do believe that I am one of the luckiest ladies around to have them in my life! (And, just look at them, they are too adorable--best buddies right there!)

Please Don't Ever Ever Even Ever....

2009-08-01T08:45:00.001-07:00

My time at DisneyWorld has taught me a few things about customer service...and what I know I NEVER will do when I am a customer anywhere! I would like to pass that knowledge onto you...
--please trust that the employee does know what they're talking about (they went through training to have their job--they're not mindless homeless people picked up off the streets and given a name tag to)
--do not lie about how long you have been waiting for something (for example, if I told you that the soup would be ready in 5 minutes, do not come up 3 minutes later and tell me it's been 10 minutes since I told you that....liar)
--please put things away where you found them in a nice and proper way
--do not scream at your children in front of us...it's rude and makes for an awkward situation when you turn around and are sunshine and smiles to us (we don't know when you're going to attack again or at whom)
--please make it a point to smell good. if you refuse to take care of your odor, then please stay out of our personal space--leaning in or over us to see our screen is a sure way to lose a limb if you smell bad :)
--and please, understand that whoever is helping you has probably answered the same questions all day, been standing in the same spot all day, is over worked and under paid, so be compassionate--they are still a human being, so treat them that way :)

Now, I know you must be thinking "wow--cranky lady!" But I have enjoyed my time at Disney, it's really opened my eyes and helped me to learn about myself...and also what to do and what to never ever even ever do when it comes to customer service :)

2009-07-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the other half of this blogging duo and I'm finally posting something!! I guess I just maybe thought that blogging was a female activity, but I know Seville would just love for me to blog every second of my day if I could ;) haha every once in a while will have to do :)

This sure has been quite the year! Finally, it's one month til the "big day" and less than a month til my princess comes home. Sometimes I can be emotional and mushy and all that too. I think blogging is supposed to bring out the emotional female attributes inside all of us "men" and so I'm gonna just blame the blogging whenever I get that way :D But seriously, what a year so far!!! How did we do this entire year, so far, apart from each other Seville?? How did we spend our entire engagement living through phone calls, text messages, skype, and picture messages?? It's amazing! Others would've given up and said to heck with it all...but we're not like other people. We're just mainly CRAZY! Crazy in general and also crazy about each other. Plus, we kinda have a bank account together and a few bills to take care of, not that bills are the only thing keeping us together :) but yeah, we've done quite well being apart. Pat on the back for both of us!

Seville and I do have quite the history, and she failed to mention her great plans she had for us and our future while she was just 14 years old. Not to embarrass you honey, but you left it out :) During "part one" of our relationship Seville just laid our future out right in front of me. We were gonna have our little "romance" til I left on my mission (and even during it I suppose) then I would return honorably and we were going to get married! The best part about her little plans is that she was completely right!! When I brought her little plans up during "part two" she was quite embarrassed but it was just cute of her! She predicted the future well :D

Well, we'll be Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian shortly (not Mrs. A-hole...inside joke) and it'll be just so very much fun! It's been a long time coming dear Seville and I just love you and I love how you giggle your way through life. I think it's very appropriate! The best day of my life is just right around the corner and I CAN'T WAIT!!!! So the countdown begins today. 30 DAYS LEFT!!

Hey baby....how's this for a post?? BOO YAH!

One More Month...

2009-07-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

I absolutely cannot believe that it is one month until I am a married woman! The day that I've been dreaming about since I was a wee little one is fast approaching--it is so insane! But what seems more surreal to me is the fact that I'm marrying Sebastian Strickler! He's going to be my husband--crazy!!!!

For those who don't know, Sebastian and I have quite the "story"...

We met right after I turned 14 at a stake conference and I was smitten by his nose and he was smitten by my name. We had a "stake dance romance" where we would dance almost every song together and laugh and just enjoy each other. I looked forward to those dances like none other and spent so much time rehearsing what I'd say to him to make him think I was so witty and "mature" and what not. (Keep in mind, he was 17 and a senior in high school and I was 14 and an 8th grader! haha!)

But we weren't quite ready to be "a couple", so as pressure from outside sources got too much to bear, we ended our "fling."

I was very hurt by Sebastian, since he actually did the "ending" of the relationship, and I never wanted to see him again (you can just imagine me in a teenage tantrum vowing never to ever see him, right?!) But we went separate ways, he served a mission in the Utah Provo Mission and I continued on through high school. We rarely gave the other a second thought...until last February.

Long story short: he got home from his mission on February 7th (my 18th birthday) and 3 days after that, he was invited by my best friend to her Personal Progress recognition program. After the it was over, I walked out into the hall where he and his friend Samuel were standing and as I walked out there, we made eye contact and smiled and he said "wow!" And with that one word, I forgot about all the heartache and not-so-pleasant memories and focused on him.

We've been "together" since that night all because we were once again smitten by noses and names.

As you can see, our story isn't the typical "we met a BYU and we were engaged 3 weeks later" story...ours is one filled with drama (more than either one of us would like), trust, friendship, love, and braces :)

Not a day goes by that I'm not in some way amazed that a high school crush has become the one I'm marrying in a month! Sebastian, I thought that I had lofty dreams of one day marrying you, and never would have guessed that they would be coming true! Thank you so much for taking a chance on me twice and not giving up on us...I am so so so grateful for you and I can't wait to be your Mrs. Strickler! I'm excited to live everyday with you and to be your partner in life. I couldn't have pictured a better Prince Charming for me (even Prince Eric and Johnny Depp don't compare to you!) Thank you for supporting me in my goals and dreams (and letting me go across the country for our entire engagement!)

Sebastian Paul, you are my sunshine and my only hope and everything that's lovely! I'll see you so soon and then we'll be E.B's! :) I love you and I have missed you like crazy! Let's get married!!!

"I could stay out here all night, if you were by my side.

We'd be wrapped up in these blankets and I swear I'd hold you tight....

I gave you my heart that night, and when I'm with you there are always butterflies"

My Mommy....

2009-07-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Summertime is Mom time for me. Since she's been a teacher for the past ever, I've been able to hang out with her during summers growing up! So, needless to say, I miss my Mom! This is one of the few summers I've been without my Mommy, but I'm so glad for the little reminders I have of her! For example, yesterday at work, a live band was playing all sorts of songs (and I realized I am SO much like my Mom because I couldn't not dance and sing along :) ) But when they started playing "Mardi Gras Mambo" and "Iko Iko", I couldn't contain my happiness! So many memories of Mom playing those songs in our many homes and her many classrooms and all of us just rockin' out to it! I love my Mom! Some more fond memories of Mom...
-Adam Ant
-countless trips to Washington
-waking up on Sunday mornings to her blasting church music through the house
-snuggling on the couch with her
-River Rhythms
-her classroom (our second home)
-summer home improvement projects (the fence, cleaning, the garage....the garage)
-dancing while disco, or any music, is playing
-the same questions for home videos ("what's your name?" "how old are you?" "where are we?")
-not being able to figure out the remotes :)
-happy bread
-stew
-dark chocolate!!!
-and so so many more!
So, Mom, I thought you should know (blogging style) that I love you so so much! You are my hero and I admire you so much :) You have influenced and shaped my life in such an incredible way--I thank you for that. You have touched the lives of so many and have done so much good that I think I'll nominate you to be the next Patron Saint! I'm sorry for the times I was being a pubescent teenager with mood swings like a tornado, but we survived that! (What a miracle!) Since day one, you have set me on the right path for success in my life, and I know that if it wasn't for your hard work, I wouldn't be where I am now--about to start my own famiy! :) I'm so proud to be your daughter and wouldn't choose another Mommy ever!!!
So, in closing...You gave us life, You gave us milk, Your name is Laurie, an Angel from Heaven.
I LOVE YOU MOMMY LAURIE!!!!

Epcot on a Day Off!

2009-06-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

We went to Epcot for my past day off (if you couldn't tell by the title of this post) and here are the highlights of the journey:
--We walked by this father and son just in time to hear the father loudly scold his son, "Don't EVER put your fingers there!!!" We will never know where the young boy's fingers were, but it did make everything the best! And, I do agree with that wise father--don't ever put your fingers there--words to live by.
--And we went on the ride Spaceship Earth and the ride makes you cute little videos of your "future"...here's ours :)

I Must Live with Boys....

2009-06-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

I wake up in the morning, excited to eat some good ol' cereal...only to find that ALL the dishes are dirty. How this is possible--I will never know. So I attempt to load the mountains of dishes into the dishwasher, only to find that it is indeed full and all the dishes in there are also dirty. So, instead of being able to satisfy my after-sleep hunger, I am stuck doing dishes. About 30-40 minutes later I am finally able to enjoy my breakfast.
You may think this is a once-in-awhile experience, but no. My good people, this is a daily event! I fear the trek from my room to the kitchen because I do not know what kind of filth disaster awaits for me (but I do know that filth does await). And, on "good" mornings, the mess is extended from out of the kitchen onto the table and into the living room and to where the computers are. But I must say that my personal favorite is when there is left over food stuck to the stove and on the floor!
Now, keep in mind that I do in fact live with three other girls...but I am starting to question that fact. Most girls (if not all) have some sort of internal meter that tells them when they are being too much of a slob...but I guess my roommates' meters have malfunctioned. I can actually say that I have not seen such laziness or lack of cleaning up after oneself (a basic function) since Sebastian was living in Provo with five other boys.
Thus, I conclude, that I must be living with boys...

(Wish me luck! Only 8 weeks til I'm home!!!)

63 Hours...In One Week?!

2009-06-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well...I learned something new about myself this past week...it is possible to work 63.5 hours in one week and not die!!!! Whoo!!! It was quite the long week with some LOONNNGGG shifts and not enough sleep, but I did it!!!
Now, the million dollar question: will I do it again? Probably......not. That is just too much for one girl to handle (especially when she's planning a wedding!)
It all paid off though when I was able to go to Star Wars weekend on Sunday and live in Star Wars land--a dream come true!!! :) I rode 2 of my favorite rides with little wait, enjoyed the sun, spent time with a good friend, and met Darth Vader and Darth Maul--who could ask for more?!?! Such a reward for a hard week's work!!!!
Now...a week of "rest"!!! (meaning only 48 hours of work--not 63.5!)
To all, have a great week!!!

1 Month Down!!!

2009-05-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been in Florida for a month now--working for a mouse! It's been....interesting! Everything hasn't been how I expected, but it's good! :) I'm finally getting the groove with work and I am for sure liking being a cashier a lot more than working in the shops with the food! I don't think I'll ever love my costume though--I don't think I make a good Aunt Jemima...
Planning the wedding has been a great time consumer! It is the perfect thing to keep me busy and not focusing on how much I actually miss home!!! I love it! :) But, doing a cross-country wedding planning is pretty interesting--YAY for modern technology!!! The calls and texts and emails are never ceasing! I really didn't realize all the little things that have to go into a wedding! I thought I was set when all the big decisions were made--oh how naive I was!!!!
Sebastian has been a great help though--he's been pretty involved with the planning and he's getting the "yes dear" and "whatever you think is best" phrases down! :) I love him!!!
So...hopefully this is what a blog is suppose to be!!! I'm not quite sure about this whole thing yet... :)

We've finally done it!

2009-05-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hello! We're getting a jumpstart on this blog thing so that when we're married we'll be pros at this...but this blogging thing seems to be harder than expected! I cannot figure this out for the life of me!!! So, hopefully this works...we'll have to see! :)