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  Amber's work moved to corporate, she did not.
  
  
  
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  Bhuvan had his first real shower.
  
  
  
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  We traveled to California for more JJC rehearsals - yay for 80 degree weather in January!
  
  
  

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  Matt got Amber a wii for V-day.
  
  
  
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  Matt soloed and played with JJC at the Queen Mary.
  
  
  
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  It snowed in California.
  
  
  
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  Due to said snow - I-15 was closed, we traveled to Phoenix to stay with my step-sister, Mari.
  
  
  

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  The first time we had ever spent a night apart - Matt was at rehearsal in Cali.
  
  
  
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  Amber started helping out editing at corporate.
  
  
  
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  Matt turned 24!
  
  
  

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  Plans to look at houses and have job interviews in AZ fall through :(
  
  
  
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  Matt quits the bank and goes to work at Monarch Honda.
  
  
  
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  We traveld to Phoenix for Easter and Amber's nephew's baptism.
  
  
  
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  We watched the Mesa temple Easter pageant.
  
  
  
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  Matt got his Associate's in Accounting.
  
  
  
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  Amber received her first and only E (= fail) in her life (Archaeology).
  
  
  
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  Amber played her last performance with White Peaks Centennial Pipe Band.
  
  
  

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  Both of our laptops mostly died.
  
  
  
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  We got a desktop computer and a mini laptop :)
  
  
  
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  Photoshop Elements came on the desktop - begin the joys of blog designing and digital scrapbooking.
  
  
  
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  We realize the Honda job isn't going to be what it was supposed to be.
  
  
  
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  We looked at houses in Utah county, but didn't persue anything due to Matt changing jobs.
  
  
  

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  Amber started working full-time hours (at corporate).
  
  
  
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  The true realization of Monarch occurs when Matt has to quit band because he can't get time off. :p
  
  
  
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  JJC came to Utah to play at the Utah Scottish Festival - Matt was working :(
  
  
  
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  Amber finished her last two classes of her undergraduate career.
  
  
  

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  4th of July pre-parade with the Honda Rider's club - we actually watched the grand parade.
  
  
  
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  We hung out with the Hadfield side - food, family, and fireworks!
  
  
  
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  Pioneer day - again, watched a parade.  Weird.
  
  
  
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  Hung out with family for a barbecue after the parade.
  
  
  
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  We started doing Primerica Financial Services part time :)
  
  
  

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  Our 2nd anniversary!
  
  
  
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  We took a road trip through Evanston, Fossile Butte Nat'l Monument, Jackson, Grand Teton Nat'l Park, Yellowstone, Island Park, Malad, Promentory, Hogle Zoo, and home again.
  
  
  
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  We almost died in Evanston thanks to two road-rage hicks.
  
  
  
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  Hadfield cabin trip - Grandpa's lesson and family skits!
  
  
  

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  Amber got bangs.
  
  
  
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  Amber's Bachelor's diploma arrived - cum laude.
  
  
  
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  Amber's 5 year high school reunion.
  
  
  
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  Payson Onion Days - watching parades is definitely better than being in parades.
  
  
  
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  Matt's brother, Curtis, returned from his mission!
  
  
  
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  We survived the primary program.
  
  
  
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  We also tried Pirate Island - loved it - great date night if you have the $.
  
  
  
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  We put an offer on a townhome - never heard back :/
  
  
  

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  During conference, Amber re-learned to crochet.
  
  
  
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  2.5 scarves were made :)
  
  
  
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  Matt's car starts knocking.
  
  
  
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  Finally taking it to the dealership, it threw a rod. :(
  
  
  
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  Amber threw a Halloween party for the Wilson side - and tried a great new recipe!
  
  
  
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  The dealership decided the car was under warranty :)
  
  
  
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  2 trick-or-treaters.
  
  
  

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  We rearranged our living room.
  
  
  
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  Illegal kitty came to our house.
  
  
  
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  Started looking for a new apartment - too poor to move.
  
  
  
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  Primerica fast start school - it was awesome!
  
  
  
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  400 South opened - yay for easy access!
  
  
  
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  Matt quits Monarch, starts refereeing basketball for Provo city.
  
  
  
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  Illegal kitty finally gets a name - Cinco.  (Get it? Matt wanted a Spanish name since he's "illegal" lol)
  
  
  
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  Thanksgiving - food and family :)
  
• Black Friday - later than planned, still got a few deals.
  
  
  

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  Amber turned 24!
  
  
  
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  Matt starts working for Tax Trio.
  
  
  
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  Lots of family parties :)
  
  
  

The saturday following my birthday was the Hadfield Christmas party - at which we got to go on a "two-horse open wagon" ride :)  I had been looking forward to this and was so excited we actually got to go this year :)  The whole family piled into the wagon/sleigh and we went for a ride - it wasn't too cold, but by the end, it definitely was chilly.  We sang songs and chatted, while looking at the lights and other attractions.  After the ride, we warmed up and had dinner.  After which, the brother who owned the horses and wagon bore his testimony of families - it was special :)  It was good to see and visit with family again.  It's been awhile :)

On Thursday, the 17th, Cinco went to No More Homeless Pets to be neutered and get his booster shots - totalling $49 as opposed to $82 for boosters alone up the street at the vet, or $209 for boosters and neutering.  He's recovered well and is possibly even more of a terrorist at times.  At the moment, though, he's laying contentedly in my lap :)

That same day was my work Christmas party.  Bowling, Costa Vida, and prizes :)  Good prizes, too.  Too bad I didn't win any.  Katie came as well, and even though they tried to randomize the lane assignments (pick a number), we fudged and Katie used my number to get put on our lane :)  Aimee (read: eye-meh) came to our table to eat with us too.  She didn't bowl seeing as how she is pregnant.  We also met Camila and Nathan.  Good times.  After food and bowling, we congregated in the pool hall/arcade for the drawings.  Like I said, I didn't win anything, and neither did Katie.  Melissa and Shannon from our team both won WW snowcone makers, though.  For a taste of how amazing these prizes were, I'll list a few (yay for working at corporate!).  Xbox 360s, Wiis, PSPs, iPod nanos, $100 gift cards, digital cameras, 12" digital photo frames, camcorders, etcetera.  Notice all of those are plural, there were at least two of all of the above.  As a nice surprise, though, the CEO got a $20 In-n-Out gift card for everyone.  Matt has already used some of ours :)

Lastly, that brings us up to yesterday, the Covalt Christmas party.  We started with dinner then did a white elephant.  We totally rocked ours.  Thank you Old Navy sale!  $1 cozy socks - and all they had were yellow when we walked in (there were some that apparently didn't get sold that an associate brought out as we were there, but Matt made us leave :) )  After that, we sang and played Christmas carols (on metal pipes of varying length).  After that, Matt and I went up the the Orem FedEx Office to pick up our Christmas cards.  Just about no where lets you print totally custom 4x8 cards, fyi.  Yes, I know it's pretty late, but deal with it :)  They're adorable and need to be shared.

As previously mentioned, the 5th was my birthday.  The sad day I enter my mid-20s (I'm now 24 for anyone wondering). This year, my birthday was on Saturday.  It was a good day.  Matt and I went to training (which is always good), during which my dad called to wish me a happy birthday (he and Gloria were in Phoenix because Jaycie was getting baptized, and then the following Saturday Belle was baptized).  After, I called back and we chatted a little.  As we got home, Zack texted me happy birthday.  Apparently there was going to be embarrassment at training, but Zack forgot :)  That evening, Matt's parents took us to dinner to Olive Garden.  They were so kind and got me a card and a cd (which is really good, btw, I finally listened to it the other day :) ).  Our waitress was super adorable too.  I ordered my standard 5 cheese ziti al forno, and it was slow getting out, so she talked to her manager (preemptive move there! not like I was going to complain though), so I got a free dessert!  (black tie mousse cake - yum!)

Thanks to everyone who called, texed, or facebooked me on my birthday :) (Or after my birthday, Jake ;) )  Loves!

Now to get around to the updates that are sorely needed. We had a lovely thanksgiving.  We went to dinner at Matt's Grandma and Grandpa Covalt's.  The turkey was delish and I definitely filled my plate too full :)  Afterward, we played Bingo.  Prizes were involved.  I got some little bungy cords, and Matt got a package of three rubber balls (which worked out perfectly because Cinco, aka Illegal Kitty, loves them - we had no toys for him when we got him...)  After Bingo, we headed to Spanish Fork where the Wilson side was congregating.  There, we had pie and visited with more family.  Toa brought the kids up from Brazil - I can't believe how big Meleseini is now!  We also looked through the ads to prepare for Black Friday.

My intent was to be there early - we're pretty broke at the moment (soon to be remedied - woot!), so deals were of great import.  The plan was to awake at 3am to get to Walmart and try to get a couple things at the 5am deal.  Well I was up late playing Assassin's Creed.  Matt finally went to sleep.  It was to the point that if I went to sleep, I wouldn't wake up, so I kept playing (my contacts were bugging me so badly!). I opted to let Matt sleep a little longer since he fell asleep pretty late, and I knew he'd have the same problem.  So at 3:30am, I went to wake him up.  It wasn't happening.  Then I fell asleep.  We did venture down to Walmart at like 9 or something and got a few things that I was hoping for, and some I wasn't planning on (Black Friday is the best day for movies...). 

Then Matt decided he needed to get me a birthday present, and GameStop had a deal on the New Super Mario Bros Wii with two qualified trade-ins.  I told Matt he didn't need to trade his games in (out of the relatively long list, we owned 3 for Xbox 360, and one I am still playing... should finish that, eh?), so he decided to get rid of his non-compatible Xbox games - and then the Xbox since we obviously don't use it and it struggles.  So we go stand in line at GameStop to find out they don't deal in stuff that old, but Mario's in the Provo mall does.  So we opted to drive up there since we had all the stuff in the car.  She took all of the games and three of the controllers for around $30 (they give you a little more if you do in-store credit, but there was nothing of interest there).  One controller was aftermarket, so she didn't take that.  Then she couldn't take the Xbox either because Matt and his brothers had opened it to try to fix the laser when it was going out.  It worked better for a little bit after that... So now we have 1 Xbox and 1 controller and some Xbox games (the ones that are compatible with the 360). 

I had told Matt that I'd rather Assassin's Creed II than Mario Bros. at some point during the day, and on the way back to GameStop, Matt said he thought he had enough to make up the other half of Assassin's Creed II.  So that was my birthday present.  At first, he wasn't going to let me have it until my birthday (the 5th), but then he really wanted to see it played, so he let me have it early.  However, I was not quite done with the first Assassin's Creed, so he and Garth had to wait until I finished that a few days later.  (Since it was my birthday present, I wasn't allowing anyone to play II before me :) )  And yes, I have finished Assassin's Creed II also now . . . like a week ago :)

Though for anyone who checks the actual blog page - you'll notice that I did come in and update it with my adorable Christmas background and header.  I made those, thank you very much.  And those stripes were a pain! I used shapes in PS to make my holly - so I can't take full credit there.  Then the stitching came from a scrapbook download.  But other than that - it's all mine! Just wanted to point that out ;)

So my mother-in-law kindly hinted that I need to post.  This I know.  For awhile, I didn't feel I had anything blog-worthy.  Then a week or two later, I thought of some things I should post about, but I was feeling the ennui and didn't want to.  Then I mostly either haven't had the time or haven't taken the time (like finishing up my life insurance test... sigh.)  So I promise I'm around and will blog . . . eventually.

I should have posted this a couple days ago when I was all giddy and excited over this stuff . . . and when I remembered them :)

400 South is open! Woot!  It opened Thursday at 5pm.  I got off early that day, but I still got home a little after 5pm so I could drive on the new road :) 

Even more exciting - the lights on the interchange were working! I thought the interchange would still be a mess, but it's not :)

Friday I got through 2.5 chapters for my life license.  2 more to go!

Saturday, Matt was able to go with me to training.  That hasn't happened ever since Matt was always working Saturdays at the shop :)

Hopefully more good things come our way this week.  I guess they always do, it just depends on how strong your microscope is.  That probably didn't make sense to anyone.  Oh well, that's okay.