THE LIST

I haven't been blogging for a while, and I actually have a reason for that ;) I have been secretly working on THE LIST :)
I wanted to have a reason to blog everyday, and I found this list! Technically Joel found it and started answering some questions, but wasn't able to finish it! So, starting January 1st I will blog everyday for a month! Get ready everyone... some questions are pretty good ;)

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe a childhood dream.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. What would you tell your 50 year-old self if you had the chance?
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

PS- So just FYI- these questions are just the basics and I might have changed some of them ;)

Christmas Time!!!!!!

Mine and Joel's first Christmas together as a married couple= SUCCESS!!!!! It was great. We are really poor, we mainly just spent time together which is fantastic :) A big chunk of Christmas money was spent at IKEA, so that is fine!

BUT Joel did surprise me with one thing... A NEW MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY!!!!!! Baby Cheeto. She is the cutest cat I have ever seen. I haven't spent a lot of time with cats, since I have had a dog for so many years I considered myself a dog person. Now this sweet little cat has changed all that! Don't get me wrong... I love my dog back home. But now I am 50/50!!!! Sorry in advance to everyone that follows me on instagram... I may be posting a lot of cat pictures ;) She is just too darn cute!!!!! We figured she is about 12-13ish weeks old, and VERY hyper. Well, just for an hour or two and then she crashes. Usually she likes to sleep with us, and needs/wants physical contact. Joel and I watched Lord of the Rings last night and she slept through all of it! After the movie we skyped my family and she woke up, and was basically a tornado the whole time we tried skyping. Great first impression on my family Cheeto!! I really wanted a cat that would cuddle with me.. and that is what I got thankfully!!!! When she is tired of course. We love her so much.

If you want to see why we named her Cheeto, watch this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JqR3GVqib4

VGHS is about some years in the future where gaming is everyones life. While Joel watched it I kinda rolled my eyes and teased him about it, but it is surprisingly really good!!! This is just the first episode of ten? I think. 

Here in Sweden they celebrate Christmas Eve and then relax on Christmas day with their presents :) Christmas Eve was spent with Joel's family! Well, obviously because mine is so far away... haha. It was really nice!! My first Swedish Christmas :) Joel an I got to his parents house around noon, and Joel started helping his mom cook. I wasn't feeling so well, so as soon as I got there I crashed.

At 3:00 on Christmas Eve, majority of Sweden turns on their TV and watches a traditional cartoon they play every year... They have been playing it for the last 50ish years. It is a mixture of old cartoons! Donald Duck, Cinderella, Snow White, Mickey Mouse, Ferdinad, Robin Hood and The Jungle Book. They played just a short clip from the movies, and it was SO CUTE and brought back so many memories of those cute shows!

After the show we cooked for a total of 5 hours, and ate for about 5 minutes. We. Were. Starving. The traditional Christmas food is kinda hard to explain if you haven't had it before... Lets just say it was preeeety good :)

All in all it was a fantastic Christmas!! I really did miss the comfort and familiarity of my own home though. This was my first Christmas away from home, away from everything I was use to. I miss you family :(

Waaaay Too Much

Ok. I have SOOOOOO much on my mind as of late, it is getting slightly ridiculous. I guess let me start with the most recent...

I was at the gym today. And one of my BIGGEST pet peeves everrrr happened. Who on earth goes to the gym with their hair curled all perfect?? With tons of makeup on? And not to mention... boobs poking out??! It drives me crazy when girls go to the gym cute. It kills me. I had to workout in a separate room.

Swedes are interesting. Majority of them dress the same, and no one talks to each other. Joel and I were on the bus the other day and no one said a single word. When we tried talking to each other I felt like we were yelling...

Lately I have been super homesick, I will be honest. It helps to talk/skype people more often, it actually helps a whole lot. To tell you the truth, it isn't that bad sometimes... until something I see/do reminds me of home. For example: I was up in Norway a few weekends back and Joel, his uncle David, and I were just taking a walk by the ocean. When suddenly a family walks by with THE EXACT SAME DOG I HAVE BACK HOME. And I bawled. Out in the middle of Norway. Homesickness happens to hit me all at the same time every once in a while. Sooo when I talk to people it helps even it all out so it doesn't happen all at one time :) (cough cough...) I also tend to come close to tears when people ask me how my homesickness is going. Then that reminds me of home all over again. Not that it is bad when people ask me, it is just hard sometimes.
Buuuut there are some perks to being homesick, believe it or not!! It is called: a loving and most understanding husband. Two nights ago I had the hardest day thus far. Joel was at work and I was supposed to be at this school I help out at (to practice my Swedish), but I was at home and unable to force myself to get out the door. He called me, and understandingly listened to me as I poured out my heart how I was feeling, but didn't know why. He told me to go do whatever I would like! Whether that be buying chocolate, watching a chick flick, crafting etc.. And that is EXACTLY what I needed to hear. (I don't know if this makes sense as I type it... but I promise it makes sense in my head). You see when I don't do something I have planned or supposed to do, I am very hard on myself. Even if it is something little... like for instance: studying more Swedish than I have been.
And it is kinda weird. I have been going to this school now for 4ish weeks and the teacher I help has even noticed how hard I am on myself.
Well, back to two days ago! When he got home he had bought be some good ol Ben & Jerry's (with caramel in the middle, just the way I like it!!) and he let me cry. And then he did the best thing he could at that moment.. he asked me if I would like a blessing. That is exactly what I needed. Heavenly Father was there for us, when we needed him the most. And for that I am incredibly thankful I have a husband that knows we need Christ to help us.

This past weekend we moved into a new apartment!!!! It is a lot bigger than we are use to, its kinda nice. But weird at the same time. Because it is actually big enough to lose things now! And it takes forever to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Ok, like 5 more steps but still!! Plus we have couches we can sit on and put people when we have company.  All in all we feel fantastic about the new place :) Hopefully we can fix it up the way we want it so I can take some picturesss.

If I were in school right now I would be having finals next week. Which means all of them would fall on or around my birthday! They did my freshman, sophomore, and junior year. That is how I spent my birthdays. Finals week. Kinda glad I don't have to deal with that this time around!

I have found this new blog that I LOVE following!!!! Ok, my sista AJ found it. I. Love. It. This girl has been married about 10? months and I love the way she writes. She talks a lot about marriage, dating, and everything a girl would love to read about. And here it is: http://www.lovethegrows.com/ Trust me. She is hilarious and I now wait for her to write on her blog everyday!!!

Joel is obsessed with Chuck. For some reason I find that hilarious. Annnd he watches it all the time. 

A few nights ago I caught myself sleep walking. I was trying to move our furniture in the middle of the night!! Like I was literally packing up my side table, putting away my ear plugs (we sleep with ear plugs, yes), I unplugged my charger and everything. When I woke up I was suuuuper confused. 



Well I believe I wanted to say more (if you can believe that....) but I guess this will have to do for now. Here are some fun and random pics for you I suppose. 
Hej då!

skyping my family on Sunday... always a pleasure :)

I LOVE my dad's head in this picture.

They... get distracted easily :) I love Coco in this picture!! And how AJ and Ryan are so cute and cuddly.

Joel's birthday cake! His mom made it.... I don't bake. Or cook. :) His birthday was on the 28th!

This is why we went up to Norway! Joel's uncle is a legit professional artist, so we painted with him for a day.

We did this together! It was such a blast to work with Joel and try to do something like this together (that I am use to doing on my own and being able to do whatever I want). The painting is still in his uncles studio, because it wasn't dry when we left. Everything is symbolic in our relationship! Any guesses?? 

It isn't done yet, but we will post pictures when it is ;)