Nathan and Ashley

On the Road

2012-01-03T13:56:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy Christmas break and a lot of it has been on the road.
Nate finished school on the 15th, I finished teaching on the 16th, then we headed south to Poky on the 17th.
Moscow-Poky: 556 Miles.

The 1st week of Christmas break consisted of relaxing, sleeping in, spending time with family and grandparents, shopping, and preparing for Christmas day.
This week was needed since the week after Christmas would be spent on a road trip.

Christmas Eve was spent with the Nielson's.
Dinner consisted of ham and potato casserole with warm homemade rolls.
We then had a little program. We read Christmas stories and sang Christmas songs.

Christmas Day was split between the Nielson's and Cuoio's.
The morning was spent with the Nielson's.
We started the day off going to church.
We then indulged ourselves with pumpkin waffles.
Opening presents came next.

This year, I was surprised with the presents I received.
The past couple of years I have picked out most of my presents but this year I did not really know what I wanted so I left it up to my mom and Nate to find me things.

My first pair of toms

I cannot wait to use my new cast iron pot!

Nate had no ideas for presents either.
He received money...
and more money... He was excited!

The kids showing off clothes and my new boots.

Christmas afternoon was spent with the Cuoio's.
We enjoyed dinner and opening presents with the whole family.
We came away with money, clothes, a fun black and white camera and a photo/history book about the Cuoio family. No photos:(

Now for our long Road Trip.
Started in Pocatello and headed south for Las Vegas: 590 Miles.
We spent Monday Evening-Thursday Morning in Vegas with the Nate's parents, Andrew and Camille.
We enjoyed
the Australian Bee Gees.
the circus.
It was my first circus and I was very entertained.
Nate loved this guy. He did a routine with a whip.

the Cosmo.

walking the strip with the lights.

On Thursday Morning we headed to Sacramento to spend the weekend with the Nielson's.
Vegas to Sacramento: 559 Miles.
Thursday night we went to the Sacramento Kings vs. Chicago Bulls basketball game.
We watched Jimmer and Derrick Rose go head to head and Derrick totally won.

Before the game we watched the teams warm up.
Jimmer is going in.
Derrick Rose at the line.
He was really fast.
He was amazing to watch.
He made playing basketball look so easy.
Friday we went to Fairfield, CA.
Sacramento-Fairfield: 42.8 miles.
We spent the morning at the Jelly Bean Factory.
There are a lot of pictures made out of jelly beans. Did you know Jelly Beans became famous because of Ronald Reagan.

That afternoon we shopped.

In the evening we attended another wedding reception for Cole and Sara.
Nate was this happy to be thereAs the night went on, he cheered up.

Saturday we went to San Francisco.
Fairfield to San Fran and back: 94.8 Miles.
We started off at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Then Lombard Street
(the crookedest street in the world)

We then headed to Fishermans' Wharf for some clam chowder and shrimp.
Pier 39 was next.
Alcatraz not too far from Pier 39
Our last stop of the day was Union Square to look around and shop.
They had a Macy's in two buildings with 6 stories each.
All the merchandise was overwhelming.
How does someone choose what to buy when there is so much to choose from?

Union Square has some interesting people.
Actually San Fran has a lot of interesting people.
They dress up to make money.
Angel dude.
That evening we headed back to Fairfield to ring in the New Year at Sara's house.
We ate good food, Nate played b-ball and noodle hockey, and I did some dancing before midnight struck.

Nate bought these lovely glasses in Vegas to help ring in the New Year.
They were a hit.

On Sunday we hit the road back to Poky.
Fairfield- Poky: 740 Miles.

In a few days we will make our way back north to Moscow.
Poky to Moscow: 556

At the end of our Christmas break we will have traveled 3,138.6 miles + all the miles driving in the cities.

There was a lot of time spent on the road this Christmas but we have enjoyed spending time with both families.
Once we get back to Moscow we will hibernate from driving long distances for the semester.

We love weddings

2012-01-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

October and November consisted of weddings on the Nielson side.

Derek and Cole found amazing girls.
They are wonderful. We love them both!

The weddings took place in the Salt Lake Temple.
Both days were chilly but they were beautiful.

In October, Derek and Alli were married. I already posted about this but I am going to post photos from the photographer.

It's official.
Love this one.
Reception
We love dancing!

November was Cole and Sara's wedding.
They were married the weekend before Thanksgiving and the celebrating lasted for a week.
There was a dinner the night before their marriage, a reception in North Salt Lake on the wedding day and then the next week their was a reception in Pocatello.

Bridals

Wedding Dinner

The Happy Couple

Utah Reception
First dance
Grandpa Stratford with the couple.

My cousin Ella
The day after the wedding, my parents took us to Grand America for brunch.
They have the best brunch.
The food is top notch.
Way too much food was eaten but it was delicious.
The happy newlywed couple also joined us.

The growing family
Between bites, we laughed.
Adored Noah.
Enjoyed one another.

Pocatello Reception
My mom sure knows how to decorate.
Mom's creamed pie.

Noah with his new tie I made him.
There was a lot of celebrating these past couple of months.
We enjoyed spending time with family and are grateful for the new additions to our family.

Give Thanks

2011-11-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

November is the month to be thankful.
Not that we shouldn't be grateful all the time but I think it is more on our minds
during the month of November.

This semester, Nate and I have been blessed with some great opportunities that are occurring now and in the future.
We are Grateful for these opportunities that have come to us.
We are very blessed.

Blessing #1.
In September, Nate tried out for the Mock Trial team.
It was more work than he thought it would be and he often wondered why he did it?
In the end, it was worth it and he made the team!
He actually made the Boise team, which means we will be heading to Boise for Nate's 3rd year of Law School.
Being on the team will give Nate the opportunity to put what he is learning into action before he actually graduates and applies for jobs.
It is like hands on experience.
We are excited to move but I think it will be hard to leave Moscow.
As I live in Moscow longer, and the more friends I meet, the more I like it and it will be sad to leave a place that we consider home.
However, being in Boise will allow us to be closer to family (we might actually have visitors!), be in a bigger city with more things to do, have better shopping, and more restaurants to choose from.

Blessing #2.
A couple of weeks ago, Boise City Attorney's offered Nate and internship for this upcoming summer.
We could not be more grateful for this opportunity.
Finding out so early about an internship has allowed us to relax.
No more worrying about if Nate will get an internship or not.
Nate is really excited and thinks it will be a great learning experience.

Blessing #3.
As you may or may not know, I am a substitute teacher in Moscow and Lewiston.
It has been a good job for me because I choose if I want to work or not (Nate might not like this but believe I still need some of my own time).
When I first started I thought I would only work in Lewiston when my mentor
teacher needed a sub and try and get the majority of my jobs here in Moscow.
Well that plan has not worked out so well.
I have only subbed in Moscow 4 times and 3 of those times have been PE and all but one have been half day.
Lewiston, on the other hand, contacts me weekly to sub.
So, I do a lot of driving, which doesn't help with the pay.
I do, however, get to see the sun rising over the hills, which is amazing and beautiful!
But a great blessing has come from working.

The blessing that has come out of working is this:
When I need more days to work,
I pray and ask that I will have opportunities to work.
Without fail, the next day I am called.
When I get those calls in the morning, I often want to say no because I want to sleep but how can I say no when my prayer was answered.
It has strengthened my testimony of prayer and that my Heavenly Father hears and answers my personal prayers.
It has been a miracle in my life.

Blessing #4.
This week I was given a long-term substitute position in Lewiston.
I will be subbing for my mentor teacher so I will be teaching 2 of the same classes
I taught last year as well as 2 new classes.
I start on the 14th of November and I will teach till Christmas break.
It will be a lot of work because I will be doing lesson planning but I am grateful for this chance I have to work, to get more experience and to keep me busy.
It will also be nice to have a little more money coming into the bank account.

This month.
And every month after.
Live in Thanksgiving Daily.
Even for the small things.
That make my life beautiful.

Halloween

2011-11-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a flash mob?

I have.

On Halloween night.

We danced to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

In front of a hundred people.

I cannot believe I did it.

But I did.

Here is proof.

Did you see Cat Woman?

Photo from the Halloween party we went to the week before Halloween.
The one where we won best costume!

Moscow friends!

Guess Who?

2011-10-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Can you guess who my husband decided to be for a Halloween Party?

By the way, I whipped out my mad sewing skills to make his mask, cape and booties.

"Catwoman"

FYI: We won best costume...and a dance off.
It was pretty amazing.

If you guessed Nate was a luchador...
you are a winner!

I need one of these...

2011-10-19T20:48:00.001-07:00

One of the best parts about going home for 10 days was spending time with Noah.
He was such a good baby and didn't even wake me up at night. (thanks!)
Feeding him, changing his diaper, giving him baths, rocking him to sleep, and trying to make him smile made me fall more in love with him!

He is adorable.
He is beautiful.
He is so fun.
I absolutely love him.
And I am pretty sure he loves me.

I need a Noah for myself.
Noah...next month you need to spend lots and lots of time with
Uncle Nate so he will want a Noah, too.

Wedding Fun: Part 1

2011-10-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

At the end of September I went home to help my mom prepare for Derek and Alli's wedding.

It felt like I did more for this wedding than my own wedding.

A week before the wedding there was an open house in Pocatello.
My mom took on the stressful job of making all the food and decorating.
She is so talented at envisioning what a party should look like.
She really made the yard look beautiful for the open house.
The wonderful 90 degree weather also helped.
(wish we could of had that kind of weather for my own reception)

The yard and decorations.

My mom ordered the hydrangeas online.
They arrived bigger than what my mom expected but they were amazing!

The food was displayed beautifully.

Chocolate cupcakes, pumpkin bars, oatmeal bars, caramel apples,
turkey and ham sandwiches with this amazing spread on top,
huckleberry popcorn, strawberries, and grapes.
The food was amazing!

The happy couple!

More to come of the wedding in Salt Lake!

i'm starved

2011-09-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

It is almost dinner time and I am starved.

My plan was to make pizza but it seems like too much work
and it doesn't sound good.

Instead, I want blueberry muffins.
I don't have all the ingredients and
I don't want to go to the store.

So...
I will share the recipe and maybe they will magically appear.

I got this recipe from my mentor teacher. Not sure where she got it but I think they are really good and they are pretty healthy. 112 calories for one muffin.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice (or use a little nutmeg, cloves and more cinnamon)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly spray muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. In large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and allspice. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, applesauce and egg. Make a well with the dry ingredients. Pour in buttermilk mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in blueberries. Pour batter into muffin cups.
Bake until tops are golden, 20-25 min.

Eat them while there warm.
I like butter and honey on mine but I also think they are good plain.

3 Important Updates

2011-08-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

#1:
This handsome fella turned 30 last week!

Of course I had to make his favorite cake...poppy seed.
I think it's the best one I have made yet!
I saved the best for him:)

And he was so happy about his new quilt!
I still cannot believe I made this.

#2
Derek is getting married!
My family loves Alli and
I cannot wait to have another sister!

#3:
Although there is not a ring yet...Cole is getting married!
Hip-hip hooray for two more sisters for me!

I couldn't be happier for my brothers.
They have found great girls and I love them both!

Cannot wait for the celebrations! Congrats Big Brothers!

Summer Sewing

2011-08-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

This summer I have been busy sewing. I don't think I have done this much sewing in this short of time since taking my sewing classes in college.

It has been really fun and rewarding.
The things I have made I am actually going to use!
That's right not everything I make turns out the way I hope it will.

My first sewing project was making onesies for my nephew, Noah. All over Etsy they have cute onesies so I copied the idea from ones I saw there. I made my own patterns and starting sewing.

They turned out a lot cuter than I imagined and Noah looks cute in the sailboat onesie too!

My second project was finishing a quilt I started two summers ago. I started it when me and Nate were dating and it was supposed to be for his 28th birthday. Since it didn't get done I decided it would be for his 29th birthday. That didn't happen either.
For Nate's 30th birthday he finally received his quilt.

I cannot tell you how joyous it felt when this puppy was done. It was not an easy quilt and luckily my mother helped me. One square probably took 30 minutes to make. I loved how it turned out but if I knew it was going to take me this long I would not have done it.

My 3rd and 4th projects were a purse and a bag. I bought this great Amy Butler book that has 26 patterns to make bags, purses and clutches.
Here is the purse.

This bag I am going to use for church.

I think they both turned out great!

I think my next sewing project is to make a tablecloth and napkins. I am going to use a twin set of Amy Butler sheets that I bought on clearance at TJMaxx.
I will let you know how it goes.

Today is a Very Good Day

2011-08-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

I awoke to the song of rain this morning. It was beautiful.

I rolled over and learned I became Aunt Ashley at 1:51 a.m. to Noah Atticus.

He is beautiful!

As I fell back to sleep I was reminded of a song that has to do with rain and Noah.
My mom used to sing it to me and my brothers to wake us up in the morning.
It goes a something like this...

The Lord said to Noah there's going to be a floody, floody.
The Lord said to Noah there's going to be a floody, floody.
Get those animals out of the muddy, muddy.
Children of the Lord.
So...
Rise and Shout and sing out your glory, glory.
Rise and Shout and sing out your glory, glory.
RISE AND SHOUT and sing out your glory, glory.
Children of the Lord.
(do you know this song Rachel?...we can teach it to you to sing to Noah)

I can tell you right now our family is singing glory for this little one!

We have been praying for his little one for a long time.

The wait has finally come to an end and Noah is perfect!

Rachel looks like a natural mother already...
and Ryan a natural father!

I cannot wait to meet you Noah!

I love you already!

Becoming A Housewife!

2011-06-26T18:10:00.001-07:00

My good friend Jeminee Pahl is getting married in about 10 days. I could not be more excited for her! I threw her a "50's Housewife" bridal shower the other week. I have never given a bridal shower before but I think it turned out well (thanks to my mom and friend Rachel).

For the shower the girls were supposed to wear red lipstick and high-heels
--going with the housewife theme.

When the girls arrived they picked out an apron to wear for the party. My mom and I made the aprons. We found fabric that was somewhat vintage and then mixed and matched them for the skirt and waistband. I think they turned out cute!

We then made pizza on the grill!
--had to use our housewife skills to make dinner and so our aprons could go to good use!

Once all the fun of eating, playing games and opening presents was over we went outside to get some pictures with my grandpa's 1963 Ford Galaxy Convertible.
--it's kind of a 50's thing right?

Thanks for getting married Jem so our friends could get together and have
some fun trying to be "good housewives"!

KaUAi

2011-06-20T09:26:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago we headed to the beautiful island of Kauai!

It was such a fun trip.
We loved the nice warm weather...with the small warm rain showers.
We loved relaxing on the warm, sandy beaches.
We didn't really love getting carsick but we loved when the road came to an end.
We loved swimming with the fish and turtles.
We loved the gratitude devotionals we had each day!
We loved laughing...mostly at Derek.
We loved we didn't die when we got caught in a huge wave.
We (or Nate) loved his sun tan oil and getting a nice brown tan.
We loved being in nature and seeing the "Garden Island."
We loved the beautiful, green scenery.
We loved kayaking and hiking.
Most of all we loved being with family and creating memories!
We pretty much loved everything!!

(Family photos)

(hike to the waterfall)

(Ta-Da)

(Where the road came to an end... Beautiful!)

(The couples...yes Tanner and Cole were a couple on the trip)

(One big happy family)

(getting sick of family photos)

(We are pretty cool)

(Beach+Water=Love)

(Love my parents! This trip could not have happened with out them.)

(Tennis--the courts were wet but we were determined to play)

(My 1st coconut. Pretty tasty but not as sweet as I would have thought)

(Love the beaches)

(Love him!!)

(The boys showing off their nice bodies)

(Snorkeling)

(loving the sun)

(Getting ready to kayak...Love this picture)

(Goodbye Kauai)

Friends, Family, Graduation

2011-05-02T09:04:00.001-07:00

After I finished student teaching I went to Pocatello to finish up and submit my Teacher Works Sample and to graduate! I was also able to play tennis a couple of times and watch Tanner play a few baseball games. He had an amazing diving catch and some great hits! I was wishing for some warmer weather down south but as we all know Pocatello likes to be cold, windy and rainy.

When I went to Provo to hand in my TWS I met up with two of my old roommates for lunch.

It was so fun catching up and to see what fun, new adventures they are looking forward too! Hopefully next time all 7 of us will be able to have lunch!

The following week, on April 21st and 22nd, Ashley Marie Nielson Cuoio Graduated from BYU!

I graduated from the School of Family Life with a degree in Family and Consumer Science Education (a fancy name for Home Economics). It was fun to see friends from my major and professors who have changed my life.

Brother Cole also graduated with a degree in Exercise Science!

Thanks mom and dad for supporting me through college. I don't know if
I would have been able to do it without you.

Grandpa Nielson also came for the festivities.

My parents have 2 graduates down and 2 to go! Next week Ryan graduates from Dental School and in June Tanner graduates from high school! Way to go Nielson Family!

After bring apart for a little more than 2 weeks the best part of the week was seeing this guy! I thought Nate would have no problem with me being away since he was so independent before we got married but he missed me after only being gone a few days! It is always nice to be missed, especially by your husband.

We are now back in Moscow! Nate has taken 1 final and has 4 more to go. Next Friday we will head to Pocatello for the summer! Things I am looking forward to this summer:

*Warm weather (hopefully it comes soon, I need a tan before...)
*Hawaii with the family!
*Tennis
*Reading Books
*Sewing (clothes and bags and maybe a quilt)
*Running and working out (I have been doing really good this spring
so lets just hope I stay motivated)
*My best friends wedding! Ya Jem!
*My 1st Nephew!
*Friends and
*Family

Life is busy

2011-03-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy around the Cuoio household the past couple of weeks. And when I say busy I mean school busy and only a little bit of fun for Nate mixed in.
So here is a run down of what has been going on.

*First off, today we celebrate 10 months of marital bliss!

*In February, Nate went to Washington D.C. and University of Virginia for a Federalist Society Conference. It was Nate's 1st time to the Nations Capital. Nate met Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and got his autograph. Nate really enjoyed seeing all the sites in Washington D.C. and listening to Clarence Thomas speak about his childhood and being raised by his grandfather.

University of Idaho students with Clarence Thomas

*For the past month, Nate has been very busy working on a law paper that is worth 50% of his grade. He spent all of his spring break working on it and this week he has spent his days and evenings working on it. Last night he was up until 2:30 working on it. I am so glad it is due tomorrow because I am sick of him working on it and his brain is fried so he needs a break.

*For the past 3 months, I have spent pretty much every moment of every day in Lewiston High School. I am happy to report that this past Friday was my last day of teaching! I will return to the high school for 3 days after spring break this week and then I will be DoNE with student teaching!
Student teaching has been a great experience and I have learned a lot but it has been exhausting and frustrating at times. After this experience I am not sure if I am cutout to be a teacher. I think I might be better off teaching mini sewing and cooking classes out of my home. Then I wont have to make lesson plans and I can teach people who actually want to learn what I am teaching. Doesn't that sound like a good plan?

Here is a picture of Lewiston High School. It was built in 1927 and is very run down.
Photo via.

*As I write this list of what we have been busy with it seems dinky and pathetic. But I tell you we have been busy. I feel like I do not stop from when I rise at 5:30 in the morning to when I crawl into bed at night. School has swamped me. I never thought student teaching would be so time consuming. I thought writing lesson plans would be a breeze...I was wrong. I am so excited for this week. It is my first spring break in 3 years! I am excited to sleep in (if my body will allow it), exercise, relax, and make some descent meals for my husband.

* I cannot end without announcing some great news! I am happy to report that a baby Nielson will be added to the family! My brother, Ryan and his wife Rachel will be adopting a baby boy in August. Our family could not be more excited for them. They are so deserving of this little one and I know they are going to be wonderful parents!

My Husband is Crafty!

2011-01-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday I began student teaching at Lewiston High School. Since Nate's school did not start until yesterday I put him in charge of painting a cupboard we got from some friends that moved.
I let him do whatever he wanted.

Here is the cupboard before:

After:

I think he did a great job!
I think he did a better job than what I would have done.
Since he did such a good job he now has a new project...to fix and paint a bookshelf.
I will post pictures when he has completed it.

A few weeks late...

2011-01-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas break was wonderful as we spent time with family and friends in Poky and Sun Valley. It is so nice having both our families in Pocatello. We were able to spend Christmas Day with both our families. We received some wonderful gifts (games, picture of Christ, shadow box of things from our wedding, cooking utensils, church books, clothes, and a coffee table with some money we got)! These gifts have helped make our apartment more "homey" as we are still trying to put it together.

The day after Christmas we spent a few days in Sun Valley at Grandpa "Nip's" cabin. We had a great time reading, skiing, sitting by the fire, playing games, and walking around Sun Valley.

The only pictures I took over Christmas were on Baldy Mountain. It sure was a BeaUtiFuL DaY in Sun Valley!!

What to blog about?

2010-12-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

As I fall asleep at night I think of all the things I could blog about.

I could blog about...

How I have had crazy dreams lately...
How my husband has an ulcer and won't go to the doctor...
How I am baby hungry...
How it starts to get dark in Moscow at 3:30, meaning the evening seems like eternity...
How next semester I will be student teaching at Lewiston High School...
How I almost have one semester left of school...
How I cannot wait to be in Pocatello for Christmas...
How I will be getting up at 5:30 starting January 3rd until April 8th...
How I have some great Christmas homemade gift ideas but they would take months to make and I only have 2 weeks...
How I will be driving 40 to 50 minutes to get to school next semester
How I would love to start a cooking blog...
How 1/4 of the sisters in my ward are pregnant...
How I have been married for half a year to an amazing guy...
How Moscow plows the snow to the middle of the street...
How I miss BYU and my sewing lab...
How I dream of all the things I could knit when I do not even knit...maybe I should start.
How I hear all the positives and negatives about being pregnant and the negatives go in one ear and out the other...
How this semester has been one of the easiest semesters of my college career...

There are probably a million other things I think blogging about but this is the list for now...

Pocatello

2010-11-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

It was a busy few days in Pocatello. In between visiting Grandpa Cuoio we were able to play tennis, watch my brother Tanner play football, met my Grandpa Nielson's "girlfriend", went out to eat with Nate's family, went to Brigham City for my Grandpa Nielson's 84th Birthday (which included seeing my brothers and extended family), reminisced about Grandpa Cuoio with Nate's family, and I made carmel apples with my mom.

It was such a great, sad, fun, exhausting weekend. We were able to fit a lot into a small amount of time, which meant not much time for studying. We are now back in Moscow hitting the books...Well Nate is... I am already caught up in my classes.

I am so grateful things worked out the way they did with Nate's classes. I am grateful we were able to go to Pocatello to be with family. Heavenly Father really watches out for us and knows when we need to be with family especially in hard and difficult times.

This is the only picture I got of the trip but I love it! My younger brother is
so cute and I love him! He is also a great quarterback.

Bert Cuoio

2010-11-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Nate and I went home to Pocatello to see this good man, Grandpa Cuoio.

Last week Nate's grandpa had a heart attack. Nate ended up not having class on Thursday and Friday so on Wednesday afternoon we headed to Pocatello to see grandpa before he passed away on Saturday at the young age of 97. We are so grateful we were able to spend a couple more hours with him on this earth.

I did not know Grandpa Cuoio very well but from the first time I met him I loved him. He was always very kind and nice to me. Grandpa Cuoio told Nate every time we went to visit that he did well, referring to Nate dating me and then later marrying me. Nate remembers his grandpa always wanted to know how he was doing and what he was up to. His grandpa wanted to make sure he was doing what was right. He was grateful his grandpa cared so much about him and cared about what he was doing in his life.

These past few days I have learned more about Grandpa Cuoio. He really had a love for baseball and played baseball in California and Texas for some major league farm teams. A fun fact is while Grandpa Cuoio was playing baseball in California he met and played with Joe DiMaggio.

Grandpa Cuoio was a great man and will be missed.

Apples

2010-10-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to WSU to pick apples. We had a great time with our friends the Cahoon's (Brett, Hailey, and Noah). We walked the rows of trees picking, talking and sampling the apples. They were delicious.

It was such a beautiful fall day in Northern Idaho.

Nate thought this branch was amazing...so we had to get a picture with it.

(The Cahoon's)

Nate thinks Noah is the cutest baby and will be one happy dad
if our children look anything like him.

From our apple picking adventure we came home with 22 lbs of apples. The next
few days I will be busy eating apples, making apples sauce, apple pie, and
Nate wants me to try and make apple cider. Hopefully it all goes well!

I like to make messes...

2010-10-03T16:40:00.001-07:00

I like to make messes... when I cook.

Nate says I am really good at it too.

I cannot argue with him because he is right.

Look at what I did to myself today.

I don't think these pictures do the mess justice. The mixture of cocoa and water was everywhere. I think we might find cocoa in places we would not expect for the next few months.
It was horrible but funny.

I also bumped the cocoa off the counter and it ended up all over the floor...oops.

I will let you know I followed the directions but they were crappy directions. Right after I put the water, butter and cocoa together in the Kitchen Aid...I knew it would be disastrous. When I turned my Kitchen Aid on I realized I was probably supposed to melt those things in a saucepan. Too bad it was too late because everything had gone everywhere. I was right about the melting because as I read over the directions again it said to pour those ingredients into the dry ingredients. Well why the heck did they not tell me to bring those things to a boil on the stove? Oh well, Nate and I had a great laugh and the cake thankfully tasted yummy topped with ice cream and strawberries!!

BLACKBERRIES

2010-09-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

30 minutes southeast of Moscow there are two little towns that have blackberries growing on the side of the road. The past two weeks we have gone with friends from our ward to pick blackberries. For those of you who do not know, blackberries are brutal. They have thorns so you have to be very careful when picking or you will come away with slivers and cuts.

The first time we picked berries on a side of a hill that was covered with rocks and wood. We had to climb on the rocks and wood which were not very sturdy. It was actually kind of scary and not very safe. When we were about to leave Nate stepped on some weak wood which collapsed and he fell and hit his head. He had no way to catch himself since he had blackberries in his hand. He hit his head pretty hard...luckily he did not get knocked out and he only came away with a tiny cut and bump on his head. We were able to get 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon of blackberries because a lot of the berries were still red.

The second time we went, we went to a different area to pick and the whole side of a hill was covered in blackberry bushes. There were so many large and ripe blackberries that we were able to get about a gallon and a half!

So what have we done with all those blackberries?

They are actually yummy to eat. I was not sure they would be that good because growing up we never had or ate fresh blackberries. They are actually really tasty and I like to eat them by the handfuls.
I put them on my oatmeal. They help naturally sweeten the oatmeal up without using sugar.
I made some jam out of some of the blackberries and it is actually really good. Raspberry jam is my favorite and I do not usually eat any other kind of jam but the blackberry jam is almost as good as the raspberry jam.
I also froze some so I can continue to put them on my oatmeal and also put them into smoothies.

Picking blackberries is probably the best thing we have found out about Moscow. It is too bad that blackberry season is not very long. Hopefully we will be able to get out and pick one more time before they are all gone.

Last week we also did Bountiful Basket and we came away with a ton of fruits and vegetables. We have pretty much eaten all of the vegetables but we are still working on the fruit. I am going to make a peach pie tonight with the peaches we got!!

Moscow

2010-08-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

We have made it to Moscow. We rolled in last Tuesday evening after a 10 hour drive. We have settled into our nice apartment and have pretty much figured out the city since it is small.

(My dad took this picture as he was leaving back to Poky at like 5 in the morning. I think the sky is way pretty. We are the top right.)

Moscow is a little city. It has so many hills and a lotof trees. You cannot see the whole city from one spot in the city because there are so many hills and there is not a tall enough one to over look the city. This is one thing we do not like about it because we love to see the city and see what is around us. There is not a whole lot here and not a whole lot to do. They do however have a mall that is better than Pocatello's because it has a Macy's.

So what have we been up to since we arrived?
The first few days consisted of us unpacking and organizing our things, figuring things out for school, going to the mall every day for internet because the internet people could not come and set ours up for a week, and figuring out campus (it seems like half of campus consists of sororities and fraternities).

On Saturday we went to Spokane to go to the temple. It is the smallest operating temple. This means you have to make an appointment to go. We did not know this so we had to wait in the waiting area to see if there would be room the already full session. About 10 minutes before the session was supposed to start the Temple President came out of the temple and asked if we were apart of a wedding party that was about to take place. Of course we weren't and we said we did not know that we had to make an appointment to go to a session. He went back into the temple and talked to the temple workers and they added some fold up chairs so we could go to the session we wanted to. It was such a blessing because we would have had to wait an hour and fifteen minutes. After we went to the temple we went to downtown Spokane and walked around and went to eat.

After we went to the temple we went to downtown Spokane and walked around and went to eat. They had this great park there. This monument is in the park to honor the railroad.

On Monday, Nate started his orientation that goes all week. Thank goodness it is over tomorrow. It has been a couple of slow days without him. It will be good once school starts so we both can be busy.

Wednesday was Nate's birthday! He turned 29! We had some couples over for poppy seed cake and cheesecake. Nate blew all 28 candles out (was supposed to be 29 but Ashley cannot count...oops). Nate was all right with it because he thinks 29 is old.

Nate got some nice new brown church shoes for his birthday that he has been needing.
(showing off his shoes that he loves!)

We are excited for this new adventure in Moscow even though it seems way to far from home (at least for Ashley).

BeST dAy of My LIfE!

2010-06-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

4 weeks ago (May 27th),

Nate and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple! It was the best day of my life.
The day went by so fast. It almost seems like it was a dream but it was the best dream I have ever had and I am glad it really happened!!

The day was absolutely perfect!

We were blessed to have family and close friends
at the temple to be apart of our special day. The ceremony was beautiful and I
loved the spirit I felt in the sealing room. I loved kneeling across the alter
from Nate. He is one good looking guy!
The weather was also perfect. My mom had been praying for months for
good weather and all that praying helped since we were blessed with cloudy,
70 degree weather (perfect for taking pictures in).

After the wedding, we had a dinner with our family and
close friends. We had a live band so we danced the night away. There
were some great memories made on the dance floor including:
1st Dance With My Nathan (he has dancing skills),

Dancing With My Dad (I did not know he had so many moves),

and
Dancing With My Grandpa Nielson.

The day went perfect and I believe it was the best wedding ever!!
Thank you family and friends for supporting Nate and I on our wedding day. We love you all and were so glad we could spend our Wedding Day with you!

Lately...

2010-04-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

On April 9th, I went to the Idaho Falls Temple to receive my endowment. It was a special day filled with new information. Even though I did not understand everything, I felt the spirit and went away from the temple filling great. I was not scared at all to go. I was excited and ready to go. I cannot wait to go again to gain more knowledge. I was lucky to have the support of my mom, my dad, Derek, Cole, Nate, Nate's mom and dad, Nate's sister Nikole and her husband Jeff and my grandpa Nielson. I have such great family and I am marrying into a wonderful family too!

That same night Nate found out that he got accepted to University of Idaho for law school. It was great news because Nate was going to have to make a payment (which he did not want to do) to Drake the next Monday to save his spot if he had not heard from Idaho. Since he got into U of I, we will be going there in the fall. It is not my first choice but it is the least expensive and in the long run it will be good not to be in a lot of debt. I am excited and scared for the new adventure Nate and I will have. I will also be able to finish up school in Moscow by taking a textiles class and then finish a few generals online. I will also be able to do my student teaching there in the winter.

(this is Nate's lawyer face)

I finished up my last semester in Provo this week. Nate has asked me if I am sad and to be honest I am not. I have had my experience in Provo and am ready to move on to a new experience. I will miss my friends and some teachers but I am glad to be leaving the Provo scene. I am excited to be back in Pocatello close to Nate and family. I never thought I would see the day when Nate and I would be living in the same city again!! It has been long 8 months of talking on the phone (Nate absolutely hates talking on the phone) and driving back and forth from Provo to Pocatello. We are both grateful we do not have to do it again!

I also heard some great news from my grandpa Nielson. When I was home two weeks ago, my grandpa told me that my grandma wanted me to have her china!! Can I tell you how happy and excited I was? I wanted to register for fine china but I knew that it was expensive and probably no one would buy it, so I went with the casual china. But now I will get fine china. A few weeks ago I was actually wondering who had gotten my grandma's china and I had this wish that I would get it but thought it would never happen. When my grandpa told me about the China I could not believe it because what I thought actually came true. My grandma must of known I would have loved her china. I was thinking about how special the china would be and how I will be able to tell my children stories about their great grandma and grandpa Nielson when we use the china.

One year ago, this weekend, Nate asked for my number...In 5 weeks we will be married!!

What it's like to be a child...

2010-02-21T20:03:00.002-08:00

For the past two months on Monday and Wednesday mornings I have gone back to being a child. I walked along side and enjoyed the entertainment of 20 children between the ages of 4 and 5 for 2 1/2 hours. During my 2 months I was able to play house, have parties where we would make party hats, play with trains, and have races down the slide where I always seemed to lose. I also sangs songs like "Head, shoulders, knees and toes," and "I'm going on a lion hunt," and "Mr. Rooster," and many more. And don't you worry, I did every motion that goes along with these songs. I sat on the carpet and listened to stories. I also ate a snack every day! I would catch snot as it came out of noses. I went on field trips to the math building and watched the children be shy as they asked BYU students if they would like a rabbit as a pet? I saw the excitement of hearing "Yes, I would like a rabbit as a pet." I watched children try rabbit food(and like it) like parsnips, parsley, cilantro, carrots, apples, cucumbers and even hay.
Now, I might have complained a few times about going to Pre-school but I actually enjoyed myself. The children are cute, fun, have a ton of energy, and are excited about pretty much everything. My favorite part was seeing them get excited when they would learn something new, which made me excited!
After two months of watching them be so happy and excited about everything I kinda wish I could be a little child again. They love life and love to learn. The Pre-school children have been great examples to me of how I should make my life. When I learn something new it seems to not be a big deal but for children it is like the best thing that has ever happened to them. I am grateful I have been able to have my eyes opened to what it is like to be a child again and hope I can be more excited about learning and life.

Christmas Break

2010-01-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

Oh, what a wonderful time of the year!

The past two weeks have been filled with many memorable moments.
First off...Nate and I were actually in the same city and had some fun times together.

The two weeks consisted of...
Going to Idaho Falls to watch Nate's 3 nieces in their Christmas Dance Recital. They sure know how to shake it!

Going out to eat with Nate's family.

Delicious Christmas Eve Dinner with my family.

Singing Christmas carols while I stumbled to play them on the piano.

Getting many wonderful gifts...a new coat, boots, and adorable apron that my mom made, and a tennis dress from Nate ( I have always wanted a tennis dress so I am excited to wear it). Nate got new scriptures (he had been using his scriptures that he got when he was baptized and they no longer had a cover on them), Sperry shoes, and money.

Going to Sun Valley and skiing Baldy (it was Nate's first time skiing Baldy). It was a beautiful warm day, which meant I did little whining about being cold.

Riding the new Gondola on Baldy and seeing the beautiful city below as we rode to the top.

Learning how to do the dance move, "the Jerk." The family became pros. YouTube it, if you do not know what it is.

Watching Sherlock Holmes. I thought it was a great movie.

Playing tennis with the family...Me and my brother Derek out played my brother Cole and my mom. When we finished playing, Cole asked if we could start off playing tennis with a prayer from now on. My family is very competitive when it comes to sports and no one likes to lose so we often get very mad at each other and we leave the courts upset at each other. The prayer might be a good idea.

Celebrating Grandpa Cuoio's 97th birthday by eating German Chocolate Cake.

Ringing the New Year by getting our groove on at the Sub. We used our "Jerk" moves and had a blast. I learned that Nate is a dancer. I do not know why he was hiding his moves from me but we will be doing much more dancing in the future.

Spending time with friends.

Soaking in the hot pools at Lava.
and...
Being TogEtHeR!

Ashley, Nate, Gordon and Sally on the Gondola

Erica, Ashley and Jeminee spending some girl time together.

Nate and Ashley at the top of Baldy.

Not so Project Runway!

2009-12-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

The overzealous mechanical up and down pitter patter of a sewing machine can wear on your ears. I'll tell you what's worse, the sound of 12 sewing machines in non-harmonic competition for 4 straight hours! Where did Nate spend his Saturday afternoon? ... In the BYU sewing lab. Ashley suggested that I come with her to work today and since I don't see her during the week, I thought I had better take advantage. Not that it was horrible, because it wasn't, but it's just a long time to be in a basement full of not so exciting things (at least to me). For me it was like being stuck watching 4 hours straight of the worst Project Runway episode I have ever seen. That sounds harsh, I know, but just not my thing. My only salvation... access to the internet in a chair that's too short and slides away from the counter where the computer rests. Sorry Ash... I love you with all my heart, but this will probably be my first and last 4 hour session in the BYU sewing lab!

Weekend without Nathan

2009-11-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend was the first weekend Nathan and I have been apart since I came to school in Provo. Next weekend wont be any better because I will be home in like 8 days and what is the point in spending money on gas when Ashley will be home two days later?? Two and a half weeks is a long time for us... basically forever! The longest we have been apart was when I went to El Salvador for a week. While I was there, we did not even get to talk to each other so at least we get to talk to each other on the phone every day which makes it seem like we are not so far apart. It has been hard being apart, but Thanksgiving break will be here before we know it and we cannot wait! This time apart has given us a new perspective to the old adage, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder".
Since Nate and I were apart this weekend it was not the most exciting weekend for me. Okay...maybe a few exciting things happened but the rest of the weekend was spent trying(that is the key word) to study for the Praxis (a test you have to take to become a teacher), waking up at 6:30 on Saturday morning to take the Praxis at 7:30, working Saturday afternoon, and not seeing Nate once.
So, for the very best part of my weekend....It started at 10:30 Saturday night. My roommates and I have been wanting to have a craft day for a few weeks and since Nate was not here we decided this weekend would be perfect. Our craft night consisted of making cute headbands...I am sure all of you have seen the cute headbands everyone is wearing now a days but since we did not want to spend the money to buy them, we decided to make them. We bought some cheap headbands and the stretch headbands and covered them in ribbon and then put buttons or fabric flowers on them. One of my roommates put feathers on her headband and it turned out super cute. They were easy and they turned out really cute. I am sure we will be making more soon since we did not have much time to work on them! Here are some pictures to show you my two creations.

If you are into headbands but you do not want to pay the money for them I would recommend making them yourself. They are fun and easy to make. Get a group of your friends together and have a party...it will be a blast! Happy Headband Making!!

January or May

2009-11-07T15:15:00.001-08:00

So... family, friends, and frequent followers... Ashley and I have a question. We'll it's actually more like a survey. For the past couple of months we've been brooding over this subject and we're almost 97.9% sure we've reached our decision. However, we thought it would be fun to ask each of our valued readers what their opinion is with regard to this life changing matter.

First, the question: When should Ashley and Nate get married?

Second, the options: Some time in January or May

Third, the madness behind each option: Why January and Why May

Why January:

Ashley and Nate don't have to endure 5 more months of painfully miserable separation during the week. (Nate and his gasoline tab are getting sick of the round-trip drive from Pocatello to Provo almost every weekend)
They can begin to reap benefits much sooner. Nate reap the benefits of Ashley's cooking expertise on a daily basis. Ashley reap the benefits of being entertained by Nate's silliness on a daily basis.
When you're engaged, you love someone and want to spend every waking moment with that person. Who wants to wait another 6 months and 20 days?

Why May:

1. "It's cold! Who wants a January wedding?"(Ash) May is a much warmer time of year.

2. It's not the prettiest time of year. Well maybe that's an understatement. It's butt ugly in Ashley's opinion. She didn't use those exact words, but you can imagine who did.

3. Ashley would be stressed out with planning a wedding for January while finishing up a tough semester. May gives Ashley more time to help Sally plan the wedding.

4. Ashley can finish another semester of school at BYU, which means one semester closer to graduation.

Fourth, the decision: January or May. You decide...

Once Upon a Time

2009-10-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

Well everybody it's official! We're Engaged! It only took Ashley 6 months to propose.... JUST KIDDING!

Once upon a time in a quaint little town called Pocatello, ID a boy (well maybe more like a man) by the name of Nathan, saw a girl (jumping out of the cradle) by the name of Ashley and being the gentleman that he is, decided to catch her. They embarked on a 5 day voyage, during which time, they fell in love. When he was tired, she drove. When she needed a blanket, he had one for her (although she didn't even use it). When he was hungry, she fed him. When her shoulders hurt, he carried her backpack. When he wanted to go swimming, she did too. When her feet hurt, he carried her. When he said something funny, she laughed. When she needed water he fetched it. When they forged the river, he held her hand. When she smelled the donkey poop, he did too. Yes, it was during the dirty, filthy, grimey, smelly, beautiful, hot, sweaty, and ridiculously fun times in Havasupai Falls that these two fell in love. From this trip forward, there was not a day that passed by that Nathan and Ashley didn't want to be with each other.

Fast forward 4.5 months to October 24, 2009...

It was a beautiful Autumn afternoon in Provo, UT. It was an extra special day, Ashley's 21st Birthday! Nathan decided to surprise his Ashley by preparing a picnic while she was gone with some friends for a couple hours. So he found the perfect spot up Provo Canyon at Nunn's Park. He went to Zupas and got her favorite kind of sandwich (Turkey Cranberry) and soup. Then he went to Magelby's and got her favorite chocolate cake in the whole world. When she texted him to pick her up, he rode up on his most trusted steed, Bullet. Ok it was more like Sally's Subaru Outback, but you could imagine. They made the switchback turns up the canyon, all the while Ashley not knowing where their final destination would be. They shared lunch by river and then it was time for Ash to open her present. I had asked Ash for weeks what she wanted for her birthday and all she would ever say is, "I want you to pop out of cake". Well mabye her exact words weren't those, but that's what she was thinking. And so Ash opened her bracelet and love boquet charm to go with it. Just when she thought the birthday surprises were over, Nathan said it was time for dessert. And knowing Ashley like we all do, she would never turn down dessert.
Now, we've reached the climax of this short but true tale. Here are three possible story endings. You decide what happens next...
Option #1- Ashley opens up the box to find chocolate cake. She is so elated that she proceeds to hord the cake all to herself. When Nathan asks for some, she appears put out, and smears it all over his face.
Option #2- Ashley opens the box to find nothing left but crumbs. To her dismay, Nathan has ruined her birthday by prematurely devouring the cake all by himself. The evidence is found on his sweater.
Option #3- Well you'll just have to watch and see for yourself!

In the moment that Ashley said "It's perfect", an overwhelming gust of wind filled with dirt flew into Nathan's eyes and they started to water. He then got "down on bended knee" for all you Boyz to Men fans and told Ashley how much he loved her and how he wanted to spend a really long, long, long time (forever) with her. After this he started to get up off his knee when she said "Aren't you going to ask me?" Nathan feeling sheepish now, had completely forgot to ask her the most important question of his life... He got back down and said, "Do you love the cake?"... oh I mean... "Will you marry me?" and her response was "YES!!" So my friends, the moral of the story is Chocolate cake is the way to Ashley's heart.

THE END