Jordan and I had such a great time in Boise over Christmas. We watched football, played games, shopped, ate great food and went to the movies.

We celebrated two special family moments and created a few more, including our adventure home.

Jordan and I said our goodbyes and then we started our drive back to Utah. We checked the road conditions and everything looked clear....

We were only on the road for a couple of hours when we realized that the Utah/Idaho border was closed. By the then it was getting dark, cold and really icy. Jordan and I decided to stop and get a hotel room. (I think my parents were VERY happy about that decision) We found a cheap, kind of scary but clean hotel and settled in for the night.

In the morning we bought new windshield wipers, got breakfast and then hit the road again. The roads were perfect.....until we hit the Idaho/Utah border. We passed at least twenty cars that had spun off the road or crashed. Luckily I have a husband who is a fantastic driver in the snow and got us home safely. I feel very blessed that we didn't try to keep driving and that we followed our instincts and the spirit and were able to turn a scary drive into a great story.

We literally unpacked our car and started to repack it for the big move to Rexburg. We once again will hit the road to start another adventure in a day or so. Hopefully this one will have better weather.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Sunday night we got together as a family and decorated Christmas cookies.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Since getting married and gaining a new last name I did some research and discovered that the name Rabe is old-german for Raven.

Jordan and I spent the day in downtown Salt Lake City. We toured the church history museum, did family research at the family history center, watched the new Joseph Smith movie and then walked through temple square to look at all the lights.

It had such a Christmas spirit with the lights, carols and snow. What a great day!

Jordan surprised me last night with tickets to the Jazz game against Toronto. We had amazing seats and loved cheering the Jazz to victory with a 114-87 win.

Go Utah Jazz!

On Sunday our Stake Presidency asked us to complete the following goals for the year 2009. Jordan and I are accepting the challenge and are going to try and complete these over the course of the year. Its good advice and thought I would share.

Here was our challenge:

"Through our obedience we will receive blessings and our testimonies will increase."

- 1,000,000 Names:
Each member 12 and over should index 40-50 names each week. Go to www.familysearchindexing.org to sign up to volunteer. Indexing 40-50 names only takes approximately 20-30 minutes.

- 1,000,000 Pages:
All individuals should read the Book of Mormon cover-to-cover in 2009.

- 1,000,000 Minutes:
Each family should do a minimum of 90 minutes of missionary work or 90 minutes of temple work each month.

- 1,000,000 Dollars:
Put our homes in order to reduce debt and secure a financial reserve. Each family should save $1,000.00 or reduce their consumer debt by $1,000.00.

- 1,000,000 Pounds:
Each family should have a one year supply of basic food storage.

Boise State Football

Clay and Kylene gave us tickets to the final home game for Boise State while we were in Boise over Thanksgiving weekend.

The broncos won against Fresno State 61-10!!

We froze but had so much fun cheering for Boise state. Especially with Kylene's cowbell (which by the way is as loud in the stadium as it is indoors Kylene).

Thanks Clay and Ky for such a fun night.

Come, ye thankful people, come,

raise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in,

ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker doth provide

for our wants to be supplied;

come to God's own temple, come,

raise the song of harvest home.

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. I loved every year gathering together Aunts, Uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters....well our family.

Before each Thanksgiving meal we sing the hymn "Come ye thankful people come". Then my Grandfather would pray thanking our Heavenly Father for all that had been given to us. It testified of his love for us and of his testimony. I loved that prayer.

After eating way too much we played games, watched football and then go to a movie. I hope that these traditions will continue. That my children will sing "Come ye thankful people come", that they will look forward to the Thanksgiving movie and that Thanksgiving will become one of their favorite holidays as it has become for me.

Thank you Veterans!

Dinner with friends

Jordan and I met up with some friends that we worked with over the summer in Zion National Park to celebrate Andrea's birthday. It was so much fun.

Friends, pizza and good conversation. One of my favorite things.

Halloween

Jordan and I spent Halloween at our ward's 'trunk or treat' party.

Jordan went as Woody from Toy Story and I wasn't feeling well so I changed my costume from Mulan to a much more comfortable rock climber.

Happy Halloween!

We made it a month!!

We made it a month!! Jordan wanted to celebrate our one month anniversary so he suggested that we get dressed up and go to a really nice dinner or fast food and a haunted house. I choose the haunted house!

We went to the 'Scream Asylum' where my coworker Steven works. Steven said that Jordan and I were the first ones to go through that night and said that we were very entertaining. I think he meant that I was entertaining. I screamed at all the right moments and jumped at everything. It was so much fun, very scary but fun.

Afterward we went to the bookstore and I read magazines and got ideas to sell Christmas candy this season. (I am still working on a blog but it should be up soon.) I hope that it does ok and I am able to get a small candy business running for the future.

Jordan and I love our new ward! I was just called as the relief society visiting teaching coordinator and we were invited to attend a special marriage course they offer during Sunday school. This Friday is trunk or treat!

I love this time of year and being able to share it with my husband makes it so much better.

Made by Brook

I wanted to make a special thank you for those that put in so much time to make Jordan and my wedding day so special.

This is what I came up with...I covered rice krispie treats with Carmel, chocolate and then packaged them to match the thank you cards I am making to put with them.

They were so easy and fun to make. I hope they like them!

More Wedding photos

Wedding Photos

Back to real life

You have to stay entertained on a twelve hour drive so Jordan and I stopped along the way to Lamar, Colorado for our reception with his friends and family. We stopped and hiked to 12,100 feet. Not a fourteener but still fun. We also stopped to see the Royal Gorge Bridge, the longest suspended bridge in the world. Pretty cool.

We are moved into our "apartment" and I started my new job. Making candy is incredibly hard work. I am learning a lot but am exhausted by the end of my shift. Today I made one hundred pounds of Carmel by scratch!! I have to admit I will be glad once the holiday candy season is over.

Glenwood Caverns

Jordan and I spent the day at Glenwood Caverns. First we rode the tram to the top of the mountain.







Then we took an amazing cave tour.






We got lost in a maze, rock climbed, rode a mechanical bull, flew 1300 feet above the Colorado river on the Swing shot and raced down the mountain side on an alpine coaster called the Canyon Flyer. We had such a good time.

Aspen, Colorado

Jordan and I went to Aspen for our honeymoon. We stayed at the hotel The Mountain Chalet.

Aspen is beautiful!!

Fun with the family before the wedding

This is how I am going to have my hair done for the wedding.