Summer Life...

It has been about a month since USU Graduation so I figure I'm doing well with blogging. We have been having a blast this summer. Travis is still working in Salt Lake at IHC, he does not love the commute but he does love the job. For my job...well I'm pretty much just labor. I watch my sisters kids once a week and then do pretty much whatever needs to be done on the farm/yard. Now that the weather has finally warmed up and the snow has melted in some places I have started riding our mules/horses to get them in shape. We just got back from a week long vacation with my family up to our barn in Bondurant, Wy. We scheduled this about 6 months ago and declared it a kids free week. If you don't know my family then our type of vacation may confuse you... Over the week we whitewater 8 miles down the river, rode bikes 50 miles, ran up a mountain 3 times covering 16 miles and 2,000 feet in elevation, had a feats of strength on a homemade teeter totter testing our abs ability, and golfed 36 holes of golf. Between these events of physical endurance we attended Bar J wranglers, drove through Yellowstone in a 16 passenger van (you know for more family togetherness), stopped at old faithful to see many bubbling mud holes, shopped and gallery hopped, and ate a lot of great food. We enjoy every action packed minute of our vacations and this one was no different! I'm sad I don't have any pictures of our Indian runs up the mountains because we saw some beautiful country. Thanks to my mom and dad for such a perfect week. We look forward to a whole week with Travis's family in St. George for lots of golf and lots of pool time!

Travis and Brian and I'm pretty sure Hunter crammed in the front of the 16 passenger.

Waiting for Old Faithful

Check out my mom's face...she LOVED it!

One of the bike rides through buffalo

Our amazing teeter totter.

USU Graduation

Graduation Day!!!! Finally after 8 finals weeks, 139 credits, millions of study hours, thousands of diet cokes, 3 apartments, one boyfriend, one fiance, one wedding, one husband, 38 A's, 7 B's, one dreadful C and 4 very long years I have graduated from Utah State University. I may have seen more of the inside of the library and spent more time with my study group than I saw of my house or spent time with my husband but it is now worth it. It seems like that first semester was so long ago but at the same time it feels surreal that I am a college graduate. I'll put my official degree in writing so that my mom can stop asking me what my degree is again... I graduated from Utah State with a Bachelor of Science in Animal, Dairy, Veterinary Science with an emphasis in Bio-veterinary Science. I also received a minor in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. I know it sounds very intense but in short it is Pre-Vet. USU and Logan have been a great experience and Travis and I had a blast living there and made some really great friends. Graduation was an exciting event with Travis, my parents, both grandparents, and in-laws in attendance. Travis opted out of walking in commencement so we made a deal that he must at least take a picture of both of us in our cap & gowns. Travis and I both could not have accomplished this without the support of our families. There are two people in this world that have wanted me to graduate college and go on to vet school more than me; my dad and then my grandpa. Both have supported me and encouraged me through everything. I am so grateful for my family and my husband for the support. I openly admit that I am a complete wreck during finals and Travis was there with diet cokes and charleston chews. I may only be at half-time in terms of my education but I am going to fully enjoy it. Here is to a party summer and serious family time. Thank you all who helped us get through the last four years!

Receiving my diploma

My parents

We were good models with the rock

Our friends Lyle and Brittany, good thing they are going to WSU too!

Grandma and Grandpa Tolbert

Grandpa and Grandma Bolingbroke

Me and Grandpa Stan

Travis's parents and us

Life...

I continue to get crap from my family for my lack of blogging and I can't even use the excuse of I am too busy with school...because well I'm not. I just stink at blogging. I am in my final semester of undergrad at Utah State and you can tell. Being accepted to Vet school makes it impossible to be motivated for school. It is quite a phenomenon that I no longer study for tests weeks in advance, not even days in advance, I now begin studying the night before or day of. This used to make me panic but now I just don't care. It is sad that I am getting the same grades if not better with this new studying philosophy, I hope it's because my classes are easier and not that I have wasted hundreds of hours overstudying. You would think I would enjoy this beautiful thing of spare time and spend some quality time with my husband but nope we are having a "trial separation". It sucks. Travis got a job in downtown Salt Lake, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up so he currently lives with his parents in Farmington while I live in Logan. He does drive up usually one day a week and then we meet up on the weekends. It is no fun at all but it is only for 4 more weeks!!! I will be graduating the first week in May and then we will be moving to Heber for the summer! So forgive me for the lack of blogging it is obviously not for the lack of time, my life is just not that exciting. I go to the gym, attend class for about an hour a day, clean my already clean house, watch FNL and Gilmore Girls, put of writing my papers (again just don't care), talk to Travis on the phone then get bitter because he interacts with people, and now I have begun to pack. There you have it, a detailed description of my life. Travis on the other hand is crazy busy, he works for IHC in the corporate treasury full time and also he has picked up side jobs doing tiling and finish work so he can have some spare money for new golf clubs. Not to mention living with his 16 year old brother, I choose to not ask what those two get into. We are both excited to be living together again and "yes" Dad we still love each other! I will try to be better at updating or be better at being interesting one of the two!

And the verdict is in....

Drumroll please....in the middle of August Travis and I will be moving to Pullman, Washington and attending Washington State University! We are so excited to have finally made a decision. WSU finally feels right, and we are ready to go! We will be moving to Heber for the summer to save some money, then we will be heading to Washington in August. Now the goal is to try and stay focused on the last half of my semester. Which is turning out to be harder than the previous 3.5 years! Graduation is only 7 weeks away!!! Travis found a job finally, sadly it is in downtown Salt Lake which means he stays a couple nights a week in Farmington with his family and a couple nights up here with me! It sucks royally spending that much time apart but it is only for 6 more weeks. We are becoming champs at phone conversations... which is a big improvement for me. We are both looking forward to the end of the semester! Summer is coming fast and I can't wait.

January...

I am a little late with January due to busy life and my lack of enthusiasm for blogging! The new semester started and I have serious senioritis. I have a very laid back school schedule and am taking full advantage of it. My study sessions have dwindled to nothing and it is great! Travis had a few weeks off before starting a new job so we were able to spend a lot more time together and make time for friends. We had my annual friend party which was a blast as always. With our numbers slowly doubling we decided to invite the boys this year. It was great to make our husbands/fiances/boyfriends get to know each other. They may never be as close as we are all but they are becoming friends! With a day off of school we threw together a getaway with 2 other couples to my parents place outside of Jackson Hole. A four day weekend was just what we all needed. The boys built an EPIC snow fort! Seriously, it was unreal. Along with snow cave building, we snow shoed, watched movies, went shopping in Jackson, and of course ate a lot. It was so much fun to get of Logan and get away to do nothing! January was a month for friends... so here is to February and whatever that brings!

BIG NEWS...

Alright, so as most people know I have been working toward becoming a Veterinarian my entire life. This summer I started the application process which is a giant pain. But the applications were in October 1st and the waiting began.I applied to 10 different schools all across the country. The leads being the schools in the west, Washing, Oregon, and Colorado but we were not going to be picky. The beginning of December I received an invitation to interview at Ohio State University! I flew out there just before Christmas and interviewed with the board of admissions. Two days before Christmas I received an acceptance letter!!!!! I could not have been more THRILLED! It was such a huge pressure relieved, I GOT in. Two weeks after Christmas I received even better news. I was awarded WICHE funding! WICHE is a government funding program for professional schools. They provide funding to cover my out-of-state tuition costs for three schools out west, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado.. This funding is awarded to four students out of the pool of 30-35 applicants across Utah. With this I received admission to all three schools!! We couldn't be more excited!! Travis and I have some BIG decisions to make on which school we will be heading to! So Please feel free to place your vote, all will be taken into consideration!

December...

The holidays are the best part of the year! With Travis graduating and between jobs and I being between semesters we had plenty of time to spend with family and friends. We had such a great time with everyone. The Saturday before Christmas is our Tolbert Family christmas party which is my highlight of the year! It is always so much fun getting together with the family. We spent Christmas this year with TJ's family. We had "Gregmas" at hour house on Christmas eve's eve. The annual Godderidge party is on Christmas eve every year up here in Logan, so the night before TJ's brother and wife with their two boys come and stay at our house the day before. We eat lots of food, play games and don't get a lot of sleep. The Christmas eve party is always a hit! Fun games, great food, good company, and family, the party is a blast. Christmas this year we stayed with Travis' brother. It was great to open christmas presents early in the morning with little kids. The excitement is just amplified with little kids! The week following Christmas we headed up to Heber and Skied. My brothers and Dad and I got to go cat skiing the Monday after and it was UNBELIEVABLE. We had so much fun skiing great snow and in great company. For New Years we headed to my parents Barn in Bondurant, WY where we did nothing and loved every minute! It was -45 degrees making going outside a little unbearable but we still loved every minute. Hanging with the family is always so much fun and being able to do so all break was great. Slightly after the new year, I was able to get my friends together and hang out! We were terrible with the pictures when everyone was there but we got some with a few of us!! I am now back to school and TJ is on the job hunt. We are ready to be done with school but excited for my last semester! Hope the Holidays were great for all!

Our nephew Drew with Santa

Travis, Me, Greg & Mindi

Kyle and I won the GAME!!

Cat Skiing with the boys

My Dad's new PUPPY!! I want him.

Travis and I at the Barn

Some of the girls!! Lover them!