Long time no blog

The past few months have been crazy! I'm going to start blogging again soon. For now, here is a great video! I want to be more like Brittany. :)



PS. In case you didn't already know, I have the BEST husband ever. He is so kind, loving and sweet to me! He does the nicest things for me!

We love weekends

Starting Fridays, whenever Brad is done with work/school, through Monday morning, when he has to leave for school, we love every second of our weekends! Monday is usually a sad day for us.

A couple weekends ago we had an adventure that was pretty fun!

On the 22nd, we went to look at the leaves at Bridal Veil Falls. We took our engagement pictures there when it was gross and wintery in APRIL, so it was fun to be back there with the pretty leaves :)


As a surprise, Brad took me to HeeHaw Farms in Pleasant Grove to get our pumpkins! What a happy surprise! We rode a hayride out to pick our pumpkin babies. There was a corn maze and some fun things for kids to do. But we were too focused on picking out our pumpkins to be concerned with such frivolity {Plus we had homework to get home to}. But don't worry! We made sure our new babies were safe on the drive home.

Then {on Wednesday} we carved them! {It's not fall until you have had pumpkin guts under your fingernails!}

ps. I learned how to make tables in Blogger! I'm feeling pretty cool!

Brad and Becca have fun {food} adventures

Here are some of the fun adventures Brad and I have done since getting married {in no particular order}:

• We went to IKEA ten minutes before it closed annnnnd we bought a candy bar. {Brad LOVED ikea, we plan on going back so we can walk through the show rooms.}

 

• We built a blanket fort and watched Batman Begins {Which I kind of liked... don't ask me about The Dark Knight}
• In an attempt to play outside, we made hot dogs and homemade french fries and ate them in a park... ten feet outside our apartment. {We're finding it difficult to leave our electronics to enjoy the great outdoors. We're pretty sure we'll regret it when the snow comes.}
• We made a pizza from scratch! {I made the dough and a white sauce. The sauce smelled, and tasted, FABULOUS! But I don't know if I could attempt to recreate it.}

The pizza had chicken, artichokes, bacon, and tomatoes. YUM!
PS That's cranberry juice in those glasses, sometimes we like to be fancy.

• At some point we put together a bookshelf and a couch. We're crafty!
• Brad is a genius! Here's how I know: we were looking at food blogs and came across a recipe for cookies and cream krispy treats (crushed oreos with melted marshmallows) and he says "What if we did that with CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!?" (Emphasis added) Best. Idea. Ever. It was a delicious mess of chocolate {we used chocolate marshmallows} and chunks of cookie.

It tasted waaaaaaayyyyyy better than it looks.
We were so excited that we didn't let the cookies cool enough so the chocolate chips melted over everything...
...I don't think that's a problem.

•  After we built our couch, Brad got me to play Pikmin 2 for an ENTIRE afternoon. Worth it.
• Brad loves pumpkin desserts. Because it's fall, I'm trying to make as many pumpkin things as possible. So far I've made:
• Cream of wheat with pumpkin, which was good, except I forgot to add sugar... in my defense it was really early.
• Pumpkin chocolate chip cake/bread {it was supposed to be cookies but the batter was to runny}. We ate it in two days.
• These pumpkin cupcakes for two. I doubled the recipe and ended up with six? {2*2=6?} But it was definitely something to be happy about! With a cream cheese frosting and cinnamon sprinkled on top, those cupcakes were perfect! And it was great to know that we wouldn't have to worry about not finishing them before they went bad/stale.

•  Today I made pumpkin pie! I did not make the crust, but I'm still to embarrassed to tell you why I didn't. I did start to make a crust.
• If you have any yummy pumpkin-y recipes, let me know! {Cute desserts are the only reason I like Halloween season.}
• I use stumbleupon.com to find new recipes, I'm a little bit addicted. I have been seeing a lot of lasagna cupcakes, and I could not wait to try them! I used a mix of the first recipe and this one. Mine turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself. :)

  Did you notice a theme in our adventures?

Best.Day.Ever.

August 27th, 2011 - Brad and I got married in the happiest place on earth. Not anything Disney related. We got married in the San Diego, CA LDS Temple. If you're from that area, it's the big white building that looks like a fairy castle. It was the best day ever. That temple is, by far, the prettiest building I have ever been in. I really felt like a princess marrying her prince! The day is almost a complete blur. Here are some highlights:

• Having some one professional do my hair was way less stressful than having someone else do it. I drank my jamba juice, ate some oatmeal and let everyone else take care of me. It was TOTALLY worth it.
• Brad's family was at the temple when we got there. Momma Spendlove was already crying {LOVE her!}. Brad looked sooo good in his suit :)
• I am sooo grateful for the ladies in the temple who helped through out the morning. They were a major blessing and I know I did not thank them enough.
• I was already crying before the ceremony. Tears of joy! It is not very often I get moments of clarity when I can feel Heavenly Father's love and know that I am in the perfect place doing the most right thing. 
• During the ceremony, I could not stop smiling! It actually hurt to try to stop. There were more happy tears, but mostly I just kept smiling.
• Once we exited the Temple: pictures, PICTURES, pictures. SO MANY PICTURES!!! Now that we have them, I'm glad. {BIG thank you to Anelise and Malcolm!} 
• My feet were KILLING me. I had picked the worst possible shoes {they were so shiny! how could I not?!}

• The reception was a blur. We, unlike most couples, got to eat A LOT of the food. So much that by the time we got to cake eating we could only manage a bite. {Which is really too bad because all of our cupcakes were delicious.}
• Malcolm and Anelise made us this video, which pretty much made my life! I love their work!

The day was perfect! I couldn't have asked for anything more. So many people helped to make the day magical. I love them all for it.

I am so grateful to be married to my sweetheart! He is the sweetest, nicest, kindest, manliest man. I am looking forward to an eternity of love and friendship with him. I am looking forward to our many, many fun adventures!

I feel like its time for an update...

Since moving back to Provo in January, I:
Found the wonderful man I am going to spend the rest of ETERNITY with.
took a road trip with him to visit my family in February
changed my major for the last time {Recreation Therapy here I come, science classes please be nice to me!}
Decided to redouble my efforts in serving those around me and be better at sharing the Gospel.
Got ENGAGED.
Went on a four day road trip {with a fabulous stop in San Antonio, TX}
moved back to Walt Disney World, where I get to play with my sister Kaitlynn and soon will be joined by besties Katey and Kelsey.
miss my dear fiance like CRAZY.

Some things I've learned:
Playing is one of the top two most important things for a functional family. That and LOVE.
As soon as you decide you're taking a break from actively searching for a special someone, THE special someone sits next to you on the first day of Comparative Literature.
Not being in the physical presence of the one you love {let alone not being able to hold hands, hug, kiss, and cuddle} is difficult. And by difficult I mean it makes me want to runaway from the happiest place on earth.
Becca Spendlove has a really nice ring to it...

Things I'm stressed about

Dating
PACKING
moving
MONEY
cleaning
leaving the stuff i'm not taking
getting everything into my little car
missing the people I don't get to see for months and months (or almost a year)

But everything will work out right? YES!!! There are a few BRIGHT and shiny things that make me know this. (In this case bright more so than shiny)

Because it's Christmas

I could and should be doing a number of other things right now, but I just couldn't resist sharing a bit of the Christmas spirit with you!

Please take a chance and look at this website. It's full of wonderful messages and will really uplift you! Promise.

Last night, the Smiths came over to do the Christmas thing because they have plans with his family today. After opening presents (we're taking them to Walt Disney World in August!!!) we played this game called "Things" we laughed and laughed and laughed. We laughed so much I still have a headache :) This is how my family celebrates. I love them sooo much! I really didn't need any presents today. But it's nice to snuggle up in my zebra print snuggie!

Merry Christmas, 

Love, Becca

Adventures in Provo

So I'm moving back to Provo in two weeks which means I'll be using my old blog. I'm really looking forward to the many adventures that are coming. As a result, this blog will be updated less... So read my other blog! Please?

For now, let me tell you about my plans for the future (since that is what this blog is about)
WINTER:

SEVEN Classes (16.5 credits)

• Beginning Ballet (0.5)
• New Testament (2.0)
• Comparative Literature 202  (3.0)
• Outdoor Skills Leadership (2.0)
• Leisure in Contemporary Society (3.0)
• Social Recreation Leadership (3.0)
• Public & Not-for-Profit Finance (3.0)

15 Hours (max)/Week of Concessions

Disney Campus Rep Stuff

About 15 hours/week outside of sleeping and Sundays of none scheduled activities... (Oh, and finish the online history class I should have already finished...) Yes, I am a little bit crazy.

SUMMER:

Internship at WDW (in Hospitality!!!)

Probs taking 3-4 classes online...

FALL - SPRING TERM 2012
Finish Classes for BS in RMYL: Leisure Services Management, Commercial Recreation (Try saying that five times fast.) and minor in Econ.
Work at a Hotel in Provo?

JULY - DECEMBER 2012

Professional Internship at WDW

2013 - 2020

Work at Walt Disney World.

Take a break and go to Pastry School (in Europe) at some point
Travel a LOT (Starting with Paris in 2013)


This plan is all moot (excepting the degree) if I get married at any point.

A glimpse at what I think about while baking

Future Babies who are in Heaven (FBH): Mom! MMMOOOMMM! Hey mom!
Me: Yesss?!
FBH: We're kind of bored when can we come down?
Me: Go ask your father.

What I did today:

I wish I could say "Filing!" or "Copying!" or "random task that didn't need to be done but I was here so I did it!" buuuuttt today consisted of:

• Facebook stalking
• reading this blog (Which is HILARIOUS!)
• muddling around hoping to look busy (I don't think it worked)

I have 7 work days left at this job. It's been wonderful, but has had a negative effect on my productivity/timeliness. Poor Concessions will have to deal with the after effects in 3 weeks...

"You're more beautiful than Disneyland is Magical"

{A friend's husband said that to her. I just really wanted to share it in hopes that my future husband will say equally adorable things}

Anyways, there's not much going on in my life right now that I feel would interest the world wide web. But I have some pretty wonderful things to look forward to, and a couple of things I'm dreading, so I'm sharing both by location.

BYU, PROVO, UTAH
pros
 - having all my friends again
 - making new friends
 - taking awesome classes about the Outdoors (which = Adventures!)
 - being neighbors with Kabria!
 - having movie nights with the girls again (specifically Nadin, Genevieve, and Shelby if they'll take me back?)
 - not living with my parents :)
 - being surrounded by people my age (at work, at church, at school, at the grocery store)
 - Temple Baptisms more often
 - Campus Rep position
cons
 - SNOW
 - real classes (however...i think i'll only have 2 out of 6 hard classes)
 - driving in the snow
 - REALLY cold

DISNEY, ORLANDO, FLORIDA
pros (they pretty much speak for themselves)
 - warmth
 - All Disney. All The Time.
 - hospitality
 - playing in the parks with Kaitlynn (and hopefully Katey and Kelsey)
 - there aren't any cons

Not to mention Christmas and a few other little fun adventures planned before I leave (Disneyland, Tron: Legacy....other stuff)

Bucket List

(SayingImages.com)

I want to:

• Finish my bachelors degree.
• Be on the Amazing Race
• Speak French fluently
• Live in another country
• Get a diploma in baking/pastry
• Run a half marathon (or several)
• Find and marry a man who will treat me like a Queen (because I fully plan on treating him like a King)
• Get married in the Temple to above listed man
• Have a passel of beautiful babies
• Raise babies in the Gospel
• Own/run a bakery/b&b/pastry shop
• Do family history work as much as possible
• Travel. A lot.
• through Europe:
• France (Paris, Castles, South)
• UK(London, Scotland, Ireland)
• Anywhere my ancestry comes from
• Eastern Europe
• Go on a cruise to the Mediterranian
• Cruise the Carribean
• North America:
• The South
• Canada (Quebec)
• Camping in the Midwest (Yellowstone)
• Visit Hawaii
• Always be physically active
• NEVER criticize myself/body especially infront of my babies
• Attend/Work in the Temple regularly.
• Work for Disney in a more legit role
• Be More Chirst Like
• Make my home a place of love and peace. Like the Temple.

This month looks good

{a few of the things I'm excited for November}

• Thursday = DISNEYLAND {and also Veterans Day. Hurray for Veterans! Like my brother-in-law Robert. And both of my grandfathers.}
• NEXT Thursday, after our second in every other week Temple baptisms, Kait and I are going to see HARRY POTTER 7 PART 1 at MIDNIGHT. {If you happen to be able to make it to Escondido the night of the 18th we would very much like your company}
• The Thursday after that will be THANKSGIVING!!!! My all time favorite holiday. You are required to see family, eat lots of yummy food and the Christmas season starts. And you don't have to worry about impressive gifts. {It helps that my Thanksgivings are full of palm trees, sunshine, and a teeny bit of cold so you can wear a cute sweater.}

Google

So I've realized that my blog comes up in google searches for people trying to figure out their lives. {I have proof if you think I'm pulling your leg.} So I've decided that in each post I'm going to try to be inspirational, or rather, use other, more eloquent, people's inspirational words. Most likely what will happen is I'll just post links to other websites, but to start I'd like to share this talk I read this morning.

From the Priesthood Session last month, Patrick Kearon of the Seventy gave a talk about staying on the straight and narrow, and our ability to use the atonement when we stray. I love his examples of how catastrophic even varying slightly off the path can be but he also provides hope when he shares how Jesus Christ is waiting with open arms to heal us from the damage. The title is "Come unto Me with Full Purpose of Heart, and I Shall Heal You”.

Happy Sabbath!

When it rains it pours.

I finally got a paycheck last Thursday! Here are some of the things I've spent it on:

• This BEAUTIFUL soft CoZy sweater from Fossil. It's the dark tan one. I've worn it pretty much every day. Even thought it's been 80 degrees outside. {I want a leather messenger bag from there for school... They're sooo pretty}
• Chocolate chips, and pumpkin puree for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. YUMMMMY
• And then some of it went to the deposit for another one of these!!! Hospitality this time!!!!!!!!!
• And I'm saving the rest of that paycheck for my deposit for my new apartment in Provo!!! {I'm signing the contract and putting it in the mail sometime between Friday and Tuesday.}

Don't worry, I won't be giving a narcissistic update about my selfish purchases every two weeks. But after two months of nothing, its nice to have something. And give me another two months and I'll be broke, broke, broke for the next 16 months at least.

"We make plans, and God laughs!"

I got that from "Mom" at DisneyQuest. Soooooo true!!!!! So true about my life. Heavenly Father knows whats best for me, and I'll do it but not with out jumping up and down about the shiny new toy that I THINK I'm getting {toy meaning adventure}.

It's an hour after my bed time but I wanted to blog {yes, ten o'clock is my current bed time. me, the college student, weeps at this fact}. This is what working a full time job in an office does to Becca. I remind myself that this is NOT my future, but in fact, the means to get to my future. I just hope I don't use up that means and end up in an office in the next two years again.

Here's my plans until Graduation Day (tentatively April 2012, but maybe more like August 2012):
Back at BYU {Yay!!! but please be a warm winter} take steps to make sure I don't go stir crazy.. or just plain crazy.

I just started training for a half marathon. By just, I mean Monday. But I've got a plan and am sooo excited to have said plan :)
ANOTHER DISNEY PROGRAM :) bahahaha, Kaitlynn, Katey and my favorite boss, Mickey Mouse, will be there. So why not? I'll actually have something to point to and say I'm saving for...rent for my apartment for fall/winter. See ya next summer!

This week:

I get to practice being a parent to a teenager.
I start my new job on Tuesday!
I still don't understand boys.
I get to see some Provo friends at the happiest place on earth!
I'm starting a star chart. Like a chart that i put star stickers on to keep track of my progress.

Last week:
I got to see two of my sisters perform in their respective plays.
I bought some jeans.
I watched most of General Conference! I'm still catching up on some of it... I felt like everything was about agency and how to use it. Maybe that's because I keep asking to be told what to do instead of deciding for myself. That IS how indecisive I am.
I realized/remembered that food is really important and if it isn't part of my occupational future I don't think I want that future.

Future plans? Go to BYU. Finish in 2012. Figure out how to go to pastry school from there.

I've had a lot of anxiety about going back to BYU. But the spirit doesn't speak in that way. It uses stupors of thought. I am able fully plan my move back. Which makes me believe that this is right. Also, it is way easier to have the spirit up in Provo, and I think that being in a place where I can be spiritually built up is something I really need to do before I head out into the world. Where I will make pastries, or wedding cakes in my very own shop.

An update, kind of

I spend A LOT of time with this little man these days. I love EVERY minute of it. Even when he's telling me he hates me and I'm not his aunt anymore. Because I know he'll follow that up with a hug and apology.

A little while ago, I was visited by my favorite Katey before she went off to start her adventures in Hawaii! We went to Hollywood, saw the Chinese Theater, and saw Craig Ferguson live. We went to Disneyland and saw World of Color. Went on a walk at the beach. Went down to San Diego and walked around the Hotel del Coronado. Pretty much it was awesome.

I'm just waiting, waiting, waiting till I hear from the County of San Diego to start working. I haven't worked in almost two months! I'm going crazy!!!

I am officially back in at BYU, I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going to live, I'm figuring out what classes to take. I can't WAIT to play with all my friends again! The snow and ice and classes? not so much...

I miss Florida like CRAZY! All my friends, being able to live in the magic, even the big blue box a little {ok, a lot}. I keep telling myself I can wait till 2012 to have that again... we'll see.

I own a car. It's beautiful. I love it. He doesn't have a name yet.

I've started to realize that what I want for my immediate future is not exactly what I've always wanted for the FUTURE. For right now I want to finish my degree. For right after that I want to live in my own condo and decorate it, all by my self. I want to live in Europe for a while. I want to be successful in a career. Sure I've always wanted an education, and living by myself is sort of an extension of living with my future husband by ourselves. But a career hasn't really been in the top of what I WANT, just what I thought I should work towards until mr wonderful comes along. But I do NOT want to get married. Not until I figure other stuff out.

I'm a pendulum

OKAY, I know this is my bajillionth time changing my mind and updating my life plan, but if I were someone who could be consistent in their life goals, I would not be me, and this blog would not exist.

So, I've had a bit of time to reconsider things with a level head and realized that throwing away a more than half finished degree was not a good idea. When I hear stories of people leaving school with only a year left I've scoffed at their foolishness, don't they know how close they are? Don't they know how important this is to succeed in a career today? But then, isn't that what I am doing? ... Oops.

Last week I got to spend the better part of a day with my dear friend Josh and his friend. It gave me kind of a jolt because I hadn't had to deal with the sorrow of being away from my friends from Provo and that whole life there. Within an hour I figured out how many more classes I need to graduate {in total? a class shy of 50 credits}, when I would take them, and found a way to get back into BYU {they take you back if you have better than a 2.0 GPA}. I have three semesters and a spring term left. That's all. In less than two years from now I should have a bachelors degree. And the best part? Fiscally possible! It all makes sense in every possible way. Except one. I am just not feeling it. {That is until about 3 hours ago.} Especially since I was planning this big wonderful adventure abroad.

I can't explain to you when/how I accepted this newest plan. I've been feeling rather morose about having to go back and do the whole BYU thing again, but I've been going through the motions since last week trying to make it work. And then, tonight, after watching Eat Pray Love with my family, right before I broke the news to Katey, who helped me plan my France adventure, it just clicked. It feels right. And some how I'll be able to fit in a little adventure in there {I do get a whole summer term off!}. That's important.

Sooo, stay tuned! Because I might be able to get everything I want! Thats all for now though ;)

Familial Gatherings to Walt Disney World, Part 1

A little while ago, one of my most favorite people in the world came to visit me!!!!!! My dear cousin Kelsey came to Florida!

She flew in on a Wednesday night. We stayed at the All Star Movies Resort and got the Disney dining plan. There was sooo much goood food and fun conversations.

Wednesday night I ate the BEST meatball sub I have ever had in my life! While I waited for Ms Kelsey to arrive on the Magical Express from the airport. We chatted and it was FABULOUS!

Thursday we slept late, played at the pool, then went over to Animal Kingdom Lodge, looked at the animals and ate at Sanaa. It was really yummy with indian/african foods. Then, Kelsey had to call in for The Everything Film Show {she's part of a film blog... isn't that AWESOME? how cool is this girl?} and we watched Whip It. Which is a really fun movie, about doing what you love... why wouldn't I love it?

Friday: HARRY POTTER DAY!!! We went to Islands of Adventure with my {non}roommate Ica. Her fabulous roommate gave us a ride. Then we waited for SEVEN HOURS to get into that part of the park. Spending that much time in a theme park without actually going on a ride or playing gives you A LOT of time to analyze the way the park is run. And basically, if I am going to spend eighty dollars on a theme park, I'm going to spend it at Disney, not Universal.

That being said... HARRY POTTER IS AWESOME! If you get the chance, go there.

Saturday was another quiet day. We went to see Toy Story 3 {sooo good!} and ate at Earl of Sandwich. We couldn't decide what to do about dinner and we eventually ended up at Trails End which was a bar be cue buffet and alright, but definitely not worth however much it normally costs.

Sunday: All four parks: one day! We were EXHAUSTED by the time we got to Magic Kingdom that evening. We ate at 50's primetime in Hollywood Studio's {meh} and Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom {Yay Winnie the Pooh! But disney needs to get better at buffets...}. It was sooo much fun! The fun that was had is indescribable! I wish we had had more time in the worlds showcase. But we did sooo much! And it was so fun to do all the things I love with my dear Kelsey!

Monday, we ate at the Grand Floridian {my favorite!}  at the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious breakfast with Mary Poppins, The Mad Hatter, Alice, Pooh and Tigger again. This buffet was MUCH better than the others. But probably because it was breakfast. Then we had to get back to All Star and get Kelsey on a bus :( No worries! We'll play lots when I'm back in California!