Jordan, Rachel & Little Miss Hadley

SO MUCH TO BLOG ABOUT, NOT ENOUGH TIME

2012-01-24T20:03:00.001-08:00

Time to catch up. Let me recap the past month.

We had a great Christmas with the Nelson side of the family.

New Years Eve was spent with my family.

I started school....again. (It's my last year, YAHOO!)

Hadley loves her two babysitters. (Thanks Jan and Kristen)

Hadley now has 7 teeth.

Hadley loves to eat real food. Her favorites include cheese, yogurt, all fruits, and some veggies.

Hadley hates peas.

Hadley shows no interest in crawling. Should I be worried? She is 9 months...

Hadley got sick for the first time. Double ear infection.

Jordan's tire business is doing great.

I was called to teach primary again. Yay for the 7 year olds.

Still going strong with my New Years resolutions. I have lost 14 lbs since January 1st.

I love Zumba. I try to go 3 times a week.

Life is busy, but I wouldnt have it any other way.

Below are some pictures taken during the holidays.

Resolutions

2012-01-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

1: Get good grades- shoot for A's and B's.
2: Graduate- Do all the necessary steps to graduate in December.
3: Attend the gym at least 4 times a week- I really would like to go 5-6 times a week but 4 is more realistic.
4: Loose weight and gain muscle- I still have 20 lbs to go before i am at my pre pregnancy weight and I want to loose a little more than that.
5: Eat healthy
6: Keep a clean house- Make my bed daily, and keep up on dishes.
7: Attend church with a better attitude- since having Hadley going to church seems like a chore.
8: Attend the temple more regularly
9: Be better at prayers and scriptures

She Loves Cows

2011-12-23T15:24:00.001-08:00

Hadley loves it when I say "MOOOOOOOOOOOOO" she laughs and laughs and laughs. So cute.

Plug for Hubs

2011-12-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

Hey All!

Do you need new tires?

No worries, Jordan sells any brand and size of tire for a great price.

Like we are talking $200-$400 savings.

Call or text him if you need a set 801-440-5625.

Our warehouse is in Salt Lake so all you people in Utah can benefit from this.

OR

If you live in Idaho, Jordan gets shipments from the warehouse in Salt Lake once a week.

Don't worry, this is for real. Jordan has always sold tires on the side for extra $$, but a few months ago he decided to make this tire and wheel thing a full time job. It has been pretty successful. His company is called Wholesale Direct and the prices really are amazing!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T12:22:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Utah. Hadley and I were able to go down for about a week. Unfortunately Jordan had to work all week so he was only able to come down for Thanksgiving day.

It was lots of fun hanging out with my older sisters who traveled hundreds of miles to be there.

There was lots of eating, shopping, movie watching, and catching up.

The vacation came to an abrupt end when over half of the family got sick and everyone had to leave early. Luckily Hadley and I didnt catch the bug.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Touch of Death

2011-11-18T17:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry for such a dramatic title.

....Let me explain...

Today I leared that my beloved Nordstrom in Orem is closing. That place has been my favorite stop when I go home to visit. I spent many hours there shopping and working to pay for my college tuition. Orem Nordstrom is also the place Jordan proposed to me. As I gathered all my special memories I realized that working at Nordstrom was my favorite job I have ever had.

Well, that thought led to thinking about all my other jobs I have had which brought me to the conclusion that I have the touch of death. Almost every company I have worked for has gone out of business shortly after I work there.

See for yourself:

Swank Jewelry...My sister started a little shop in the mall a few years ago, it only stayed open for a few months.

Limited Too....Went out of business

Shade...Went out of business (I heard they are reopening though)

Hogi Yogi...The one I worked at went out of business, and I am pretty sure all the other locations are closing too.

Western Watts...I think the whole company went under, but the one I worked at is completely GONE!

Nordstrom...ALMOST GONE

National Future Benefits...Almost Out of Business, I think they are only open because they have a few clients left.

Epiphany Media Centers...Out of business

The only companies I have worked for that are actually still running are: The Post Register Newspaper and eBay. Want to know the crazy thing about the PR and eBay? Both companies went down in revenue once I started working. :o

So there you have it. I am cursed.

Hadley's Morning Workout

2011-11-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

Waking up at 6am isnt too bad when you wake up to this little cute ball of energy.

It's About Time

2011-11-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody,

Guess What!

I now sit up by myself.

Mommy and Daddy are so proud of me.

I think it is pretty cool too.

Lots of Love!

6 MONTHS

2011-10-29T23:18:00.001-07:00

Little miss is 6 months old!

Happy 6 months Hadley! We love you so much.

I need help

2011-10-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

I have never been much of a chocolate cake eater. It has never looked AMAZING to me. I have never craved it. If I had to decide between a piece of chocolate cake or a cookie, I would take the cookie.

Until summer 2010.

Jordan and I lived in Mississppi and Alabama for that summer. Down south they have this chain restaurant called Newks. It is all over the south. It is a yummy soup, salad, and sandwich place. And they have the most amazing chocolate cake. I dont remember why I ordered cake that day. I never order dessert at restaurants (especially chocolate cake), but I am sure glad I ordered it. It is a slice of heaven. I have never tasted chocolate cake like this.

Needless to say, Jordan and I made multiple visits to Newks for the chocolate cake that summer.

Fast forward to summer 2011...

We moved to Tyler, Texas. Well, Guess what! Tyler happened to have a Newks! This is so embarrassing, but I went probably once a week to Newks for chocolate cake (as I am writing this, I am understanding why I am still packing on 20 extra pounds). I just couldnt get enough of this cake! It was my drug. No lie. In fact, right before we left Texas to move back to Idaho, we stopped at Newks and got the managers phone number so we could order a cake for my birthday in January.

When I got home I was really missing my favorite chocolate cake. I soon decided I could make a chocolate cake that would tast just as good.

Unfortunately I was dead wrong. I have tried every single chocolate cake mix out there. I tried this recipe, this recipe , and this recipe. I have searched allrecipes.com, hershey.com, etc. None of them even compare to my glourious Newks cake.

I am in a stump people. I need your help. I need help finding the best chocolate cake recipe.

I. Have. A. Serious. Problem.

...Thoughts...

2011-09-28T20:49:00.001-07:00

*A few days ago Jordan and I both had a horrible, terrible, rotten day. He had a bad day working and I had a horrible day at school. We came home that night and Hadley had the biggest smile on her face. It is amazing that this little girl can bring so much joy and can change your mood completely with just a simple coo or smile.

*I cant wait to be a full time, stay-at-home mom. I have a new found respect for moms that have to leave their kids during the day. I dont know how they do it. I am only gone from Hadley 15 hours a week and it breaks my heart to have to leave her. Every time I leave her to go to school I feel like crying.

*Although it kills me to leave Hadley, I am so grateful for Hadley's 2nd mommy/babysitter. My beautiful sister Janelle is so sweet to babysit her every other day. I wouldnt want to leave her with anyone else and I am forever grateful for Janelle's generosity. Thanks sis. Love ya.

*I only have 2 more semesters till I graduate! YAHOO!
Word of advice to you future college students: dont take a year off of school to get married, and dont switch you major 20 million times. The result will be 6 years to get a 4 year degree.

*Looks like I am going to continue on and get a Master's Degree in Teacher Leadership Education.

*All of our friends our moving away :(

*I have noticed that quite a few people are asking when baby #2 is coming. Ummm....HELLO...Hadley is only 5 months old. Lets wait a little bit peeps.

*Growing up my mom always tried to take me back to school shopping at TJ Maxx and I HATED it. I thought TJ Maxx was awful. What the heck was I thinking???? TJ Maxx is my latest obsession. Such amazing deals. I bought Hadley a Puma sweatsuit for $10. I also got some amazing BCBG nude wedges for $20.

*Hadley is teething and it is as horrible as i thought it would be. Any advice?

*I have requested an invite on pinterest.com probably 10 times now and I have had a couple people try to invite me. Nothing is working. I am not getting any invites. I think the site hates me. Anybody else having this problem??

*My new favorite drink is a little Perrier with a splash of cranberry. So good.

Finally Home

2011-09-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

At last! We are home in Idaho. Texas, Wyoming and Utah were so much fun and we loved our little adventure over the last 4 months, but it feels so good to be home in OUR OWN beds.

Hadley is loving being home too. She love love loves sleeping in her crib. Hadley is such a great sleeper, she sleeps 12 hours a night and takes several naps during the day. We consider ourselves VERY lucky to have such a great sleeper.

Hadley started laughing this past week. It is so cute. She was giggling like crazy today so I ran to get my camera to capture it. Of course as soon as I set my camera up she got camera shy and she stopped laughing. Below is what I recorded.

Hopefully I will get a better video of her laughing in the future.

(Please ignore my annoying voice)

Sunday Twins

2011-08-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday my mom and Hadley decided to wear matching eyelet outfits. When Jordan walked in and saw that mom and Hadley were matching he said, "Hey! You both have the same holes in your outfits." We quickly corrected him and told him the pattern is called "eyelet" the rest of the day he walked around saying, "Isnt it cool that Hadley and mom are wearing matching eyelids?"

Kitchen

2011-08-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

Living Room

2011-08-10T20:49:00.001-07:00

Forgot to snap before pictures...Enjoy the after pictures.

Dinning Room Enters the 21st Century

2011-08-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Goodbye red dinning room.

Hello fabulous blue dinning room.

The dinning room is not all the way completed. We still need to put white slip covers on the wing back chairs. Anybody know where to find some?

Another Room Update

2011-08-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

There is a wall in between my moms kitchen and family room.

This was our next project.

Before:

After:

I Have Been Busy...

2011-08-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hadley and I left Texas about a week ago. Jordan is still out there selling and will be for another month. Hadley and I are staying in Utah with my family while Jordan finishes working. Although we miss him lots and lots I have been keeping myself busy here in Utah.

My mom, sisters and I decided to update my mom's house. We started with the family room.

BEFORE

(there used to be about 100 pictures on this wall, we took them off before we took this picture)

AND AFTER!!!!!

New paint, sofa, pillows, curtains and rug! Doesnt it look amazing!?!

Recipe Ideas

2011-07-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

When it comes time for dinner I never know what to make so I am posting a bunch of recipes that I plan on trying. If you have tried any of these in the past, or if you decided to try one of them let me know how it turns out. :)

Main Dishes
Succulent Steak
Honey Glazed Chicken
Slow Cooker Chicken
Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Manicotti
Baked Ziti
Italian Beef Sandwiches
Meatballs

Side Dishes
Curried Cauliflower
5 Cup Fruit Salad
Honey Lime Fruit Salad
Rice and Broccoli Bake
Caprese Salad
Pesto Bowtie Salad
Stuffed Zucchini

Desserts
Ganache Brown Sugar Bars
Chocolate Mint Brownies
Congo Bars
Chocolate Cream Angel Food Cake
Heath Bar Cake
Chocolate Thubprints
Mississippi Mud Brownies

Other
Buttermilk Banana Bread
Morning Buns
Homemade Syrup

Date Night

2011-07-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Summer sales=no dates during the summer.

Jordan works Monday-Saturday, Noon-10 or 11pm.

But a miracle (in my opinion) happened today! A company server went down
and all the guys had to stop working at 6.

So we went on a date!

(don't make fun of my chub face...I am working on getting rid of this yucky baby weight)

We went and got some yummy Texas BBQ at the famous Rudys.

Of course our beautiful baby joined us on date night. :)

Hadley LOVES to stands up.

After dinner we were planning on going to the park to go for a walk and fly Jordan's helicopter, but an unhappy customer called Jordan complaining about their new alarm system. Blah...There went our park plans.

Jordan being the amazing sales person he is, rushed over to the customers home to save the sale.

Here is my hard working hubs in action.

Jordan saved the sale and we headed home.

All in all date night was a success!

A Day Full of Tears

2011-06-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Poor Hadley had such a rough day last week. She had to go to her 2 month check-up, which meant time for shots.

It broke my heart to see them give her 5 shots in her legs. She did not like it at all.

We also found out that Hadley is right on track as far as development goes.

She is a tall little girl measuring in at 23 inches (87th percentile) and skinny weighing 10 pounds (42nd percentile)

Later that day I decided to pierce her ears.

Before Picture

Before Picture

I had my friend McCall come with me to the mall so she could hold her while I watch and comfort Hadley.

Hadley freaked out when they marked with a marker where to pierce them but the actual piercing she didnt mind too much.

When I put her back in her car seat she started crying again. Poor girl. I am such a mean mom.

After picture.

After the ear piercing she was pooped and slept the rest of the day.

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

First off I want to say Happy Fathers Day to Jordan's Dad, My Dad, and my Step-Dad "Big D".

We celebrated Father's Day on Saturday night. We went to dinner at this yummy restaurant called BJ's. After dinner we came home and Jordan opened his presents. Hadley and I made him a personalized mug. He also got 2 fluffy pillows that he can use all to himself at night (thanks Barbara Jo for the idea), and a gift card to a hamburger restaurant.

On Sunday (actual Father's Day) we went to church and had a BBQ with all of the sales people out here. Hadley looked stunning in her BBQ attire.

Don't worry, she does not have huge legs, those are wide leg sailor trousers. Aren't they adorable?

I realized I have hardly any pictures of myself and Hadley, so below is my attempt to take a mommy-daughter picture.

Our little family before the BBQ.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

Hello, Goodbye

2011-06-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hadley has so many people in her life that love her so much. It makes me sad that she came into this world and was welcomed by so many loving family members and then we had to move so quickly.

Hadley meets Uncle Rob for the first time

Hadley saying goodbye to her Nelson Cousins.

Hadley saying goodbye to Great Grandpa & Grandma Nelson

We cant wait to get back home so we can see our lovely families again and Hadley can get reacquainted with everyone.

Hadley's Entertainment

2011-06-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hadley got an activity mat. She loves it.

Tummy time is much more fun.
She swings her arms back and forth and hits those dangly animal things and she smiles so big!

Sometimes her swinging, out-of-control arms knock her bow down and it blinds her....she doesnt seem to care. She is still smiling and having a great time.

It is safe to say that this activity mat was a great purchase. :)

Sleeping Beauty

2011-06-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

Why are babies so dang cute when they sleep?

8 Weeks Old

2011-06-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

8 weeks old and FINALLY out of tacky, ugly newborn clothes. I love dressing her in all the cute 0-3 month clothes I bought months ago.

Lots of Texas Fun

2011-06-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

Let me start this post off with an old picture.

These are two of my very best friends-Jessica (middle) and Caitlyn (right). We met during our first semester at college and have been such great friends ever since. In fact, Caitlyn is the whole reason I ever met Jordan, but that is a whole other story.

I am lucky enough to live right next to Caitlyn and her husband Tony and we see each other very regularly. Jessica on the other hand moved to her home state of Texas a little over a year ago and never see each other anymore.

When I found out we would be living in Texas for the summer, Jessica was the FIRST person I called to tell. I couldnt wait to see my Jess Jess!

This past weekend Jessica made the 6 hour drive from San Antonio to Tyler to come visit me.
We spent the weekend shopping, eating out, laying out by the pool, and just having fun catching up. I wish I would have taken pictures! I miss her already and I wish she would have stayed longer.

...Moving On...

Jordan is doing pretty well with sales. He has lost 15 pounds since being out here! He walks all day in the heat, so weight is just melting off of him.

Everyone says Hadley looks like Jordan, what do you think?

LOOK WHO IS SITTING UP (with the help of Mr. Bumbo)

And to end this post, I finally snapped a picture of Hadley's beautiful smile.

(Sorry for the blurry picture, this one was taken with my phone.)

6 Weeks Old

2011-06-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

This weeks highlights:
*She is way more awake
*She is almost sleeping through the night! She usually has her last feeding at 10pm and stays asleep until 4am, then it is every 3 hours from there.
*She loves her pacifier
*She has grown out of her first outfit
*I am guessing she weighs about 10 pounds
*She loves sleeping in my arms
*I have caught her smiling a few times.
*She went into the pool for the first time (well, second time--but she was awake this time)

My Little Fish

2011-05-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

We took Hadley to the pool for the first time....

Unfortunately she was asleep the whole time (even when we put her in the water) so we will have to try the pool again tomorrow.

Arranged Marriage?

2011-05-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Beckham. (Hadley's future husband.)

Beckham is the cute son of Jordan's best friend Logan and his sweet wife Allie. Jordan and I have already given Hadley the okay the marry Beckham. He is so stinkin cute!

Time Flies

2011-05-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

After much thought and prayer Jordan and I made a last minute decision to go out and sell again. We were going back and forth with the idea for a couple months because we didnt know what company we wanted to sell with, and then we wondered if it was really worth it to go out again, and then we FINALLY decided that going out was the right thing to do. We are with Vivint (formally APX) again, but with a new manager/office. We are in Tyler, Texas (about 2 hours from Dallas) and so far I am loving it. I am excited for the change, and I hope that Jordan sells lots and lots this summer.

It was quite an adventure driving across country with a 2 week old, but we did it and she was such a good traveler.

We have been here about a week, and I just barely got Internet connection today--I have been dying! Jordan leaves for work around 12:30 in the afternoon and doesnt get home until about 10 or 11. Hadley and I have had lots of bonding time. The days get kind of long for us, but I am so grateful I can be home with her and not at work or school.

Here is a peek into the life of Hadley:

Princess Hadley wakes up

She eats

She poops

She sleeps. (She repeats eat/poop/sleep about 10-12 times a day)

So here is a funny thing about Hadley: Most kids have like a stuffed animal or a blanket they are attached to when they are sleeping. Not my Hadley. She is attached to her binki. Her binki has to be right next to her at all times while she is sleeping. It doesnt need to be in her mouth, just by her (see picture above). This is not a joke. She will be in a deep deep sleep and if you move her binki she starts to whimper and cry (see picture below). But dont worry, once you return the binki back to its orginal position she is fine again. Who would have thought that a 3 week old would have such attitude. ;)

After her morning nap, Hadley hangs out with Dad until he leaves for work.

Then we have bath time.

Then we get dressed.

Floor time

Tummy Time

And we run errands. I think this day we went to the grocery store.

Before you know it, it is PJ time

Snuggles with Dad before she goes to bed.

It is such a tough life for little miss Hadley. :)

THINGS ABOUT ME

2011-05-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

My sister Janelle tagged me to complete this survey.

10 FAVORITE PLACES TO BE
1: In Bed
2: At home (my Ammon, Idaho home)
3: My moms house
4: Arizona
5: Canada
6: Cancun
7: Florida
8: The Beach
9: Auntie Flora's cabin (Montana)
10: Nordstrom

9 INTERESTING/WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME
1: I am missing a front tooth
2: I HATE needles
3: I hate being in the car
4: My husband has a permanently broken foot
5: My husband has a lapband
6: I dont know my real hair color
7: I secretly love the Friday song (see the original here, or if you want an even better version of the song listen to the Glee version of it here.)
8: The worst part of being in labor was getting the IV
9: I hate mayo

8 THINGS I AM GOING TO DO THIS SUMMER
1: Lose all my baby weight, plus some
2: Complete the Insanity program
3: Read the Book of Mormon all the way through
4: Save money instead of spend money
5: Explore Texas
6: Go to a drive in movie
7: Hang out with my BFF Jess
8: Get an amazing tan

7 THINGS I AM THINKING ABOUT
1: It is my sister (Barbara Jo's) birthday
2: I wonder if Jordan has sold an alarm today
3: I need to switch the laundry over
4: I need to pay bills
5: I should probably get ready for the day (it is 5:00pm by the way)
6: I should probably meet the other alarm sales wives
7: I really want to go to Hobby Lobby

6 THINGS I AM WEARING
1: An over sized pajama shirt
2: Gray workout pants
3: Nursing bra
4: Garment top
5: Garment bottom
6: Mascara

5 THINGS I AM WORRIED ABOUT
1: Money
2: Jordan's sales
3: Losing weight
4: School
5: Being home along all day and part of the night (gotta love summer sales)

4 THINGS ON THE FLOOR
1: Car keys
2: Hadleys car set
3: My running shoes
4: Jordan's Sanuk shoes

3 THINGS I WANT TO DO TODAY
1: Clean my apartment
2: Finish the laundry
3: Finish unpacking

2 RANDOM FACTS
1: Jordan has and always will paint and cut my toe nails
2: I love Oprah, and I might cry next week when her show ends

1 Secret
1: I am addicted to sweets.

I tag: Allie, Chelsea, Atty, Alexis

Hadley's Newborn Pictures

2011-05-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have Rachael Gapinski (the gal who photographed our wedding) take Hadley's newborn pictures. She does such an amazing job. Thanks Rachael... Check out her blog, or website!

Welcome Baby Hadley!

2011-04-27T19:25:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to say that my beautiful little girl is here! She is so perfect.

Birth Story:

My doctor scheduled my induction date right at 40 weeks (Monday, April 25th). We were instructed at my last doctors appointment to call the hospital at 5am on the 25th and they would let me know when I could come in to be induced. By some miracle the hospital only had two people go into natural labor on the night of the 24th so they had room for me in the hospital right at 5am! Jordan and I got everything together super quick and we were at the hospital at 5:15.

By 5:45am I was in the hospital bed and the nurse started me on pitocin. I had naturally dilated to a 2 and the nurse said I had to make it to a 4 or a 5 before they would give me an epidural. I had never felt a contraction before entering the hospital, so I had NO idea what to expect.

By 9am I still hadnt felt a contraction. The nurse came and checked to see how far I had dilated and I was at a 2.5 at this point. The nurse was worried I wasnt progressing fast enough, so she called my doctor to break my water.

After my doctor came to break my water I really felt the contractions. In all honesty it wasnt as bad as I thought it would be. Dont get me wrong, they KILLED, just not as intense as I expected. I had serious contractions for about 2 hours. Around noon the nurse came to check me and I had dilated to a 4. That meant time for the epidural!

The anesthesiologist came in and explained the whole epidural to me. He administered the epidural and it was not bad at all. We waited a few minutes for the medicine to kick in and it seemed to be taking FOREVER. Finally I felt totally numb on my right side, but my left side had complete feeling in it still. He tried every trick in the book to get the medicine to go the left side but nothing seemed to be working. So our only option was to try the epidural again.

Luckily the second epidural worked like a charm. A little too well actually. Within 2 hours of receiving the epidural I had dilated to a 10. The doctor was ready to deliver, but I couldnt push. To make a long story short, the first epidural worked just fine, it was just taking FOREVER to kick in. So I had double the epidurals and double the numbness. The doctor and anesthesiologist agreed that the medicine had to wear off quite a bit before they would let me push.

FOUR HOURS LATER the epidural had worn off enough to push. 30 minutes later our precious little girl entered the world. Hadley Reese Nelson, 6 lbs. 8 oz.

Pictures!!

While I was having my contractions I guess I kept on holding my breath and Hadley's heart rate kept dropping down to nothing, so I got to spend the majority of my labor with this lovely oxygen mask on.
I know most prego people are puffy marshmallows when they give birth, but I was extra puffy with all the epidurals and pitocin in me. Anyways, this is my first time holding her.

6 lbs. 8 oz. 20 inches long.

My BFF Caitlyn arrived at the hospital right after she was born. Caitlyn was actually the first person to know I was pregnant. She MADE me buy a pregnancy test.

Grandma Nelson

Jordan loves being a Dad.

Great Grandma Nelson

My mom and two little sisters ( Janelle and Louisa) were driving up from Utah when I gave birth. Luckily, they arrived at the hospital just a few short hours after her birth.

Aunt Louisa is such HUGE help and has a special bond with little Hadley.

Janelle and Mom! It has been so nice have my family stay a few days and help me out. I never realized how much it hurts to give birth. The aftermath is NOT fun. Luckily they have kept me entertained, made yummy food, kept my house cleaned, and mothered Hadley while Jordan and I rest.

Yes, that is a binki in her mouth. Binki's are just so dang ugly, I had to glue some flowers to the front of them. :)
Going home from the hospital outfit!

It is so funny/cute to see how cautious Jordan is with her. I think we went 15 mph the whole way home from the hospital.

Thanks for all the love and support! Baby Hadley, Jordan and I feel so loved.

Itty BItty Sneak Peek

2011-03-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have been having so much fun working on the nursery. Here is a little preview of baby H's room.

The picture didnt turn out very well, trust me this sign is much more beautiful in person. I should be finished with the nursery this week and I will post pictures as soon as it is 100% complete. Just thought I would give you a little peek.

Few Thoughts

2011-03-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

(Please excuse my bloated body/face, no make-up, and drugged smile)

I only have 9ish weeks to go! We are so excited to welcome our little girl into our home. I am stressing out about everything I have to get done before she comes. I know everything will get done in time, but it is just a lot that needs to be completed.

It is quite stressful to be a full time student, employee, wife, and mom to be. My house is a disaster, laundry is piled high and Jordan is getting used to the dollar menu or frozen meals for dinner. Only a few more weeks and I am out of school for the summer and done with work. I am so excited to be done with school and work for a little bit and concentrate on being a mom and housewife.

The past couple weeks I have had a MAJOR craving for Baskin Robbins Rainbow Sherbet. I am embarrassed to say this, but I have probably had it 12 times in the past 2 weeks. I will crave it at work and it gets to the point where I cant concentrate on anything until I get rainbow sherbet. Jordan has been such a great husband and will run to pick up sherbet for me at anytime of the day. The baby really enjoys it too. She kicks like crazy and does flips while I am eating it.

Sleeping has been a chore lately. I am so dang uncomfortable. My body just aches and aches when I lay in bed. Any suggestions on how I can get a better nights rest??

It is so fun to get everything ready for our little girl. It is starting to really hit me that she is going to be here soon. So exciting!

Well, I guess we are Nissan People

2011-02-10T14:46:00.001-08:00

So we all know that Jordan has a Nissan Titan. He loves it. It has been a great truck and has had ZERO problems.

Well a few weeks ago, Jordan and I decided that we needed to sell my Saturn Vue. It was about to fall apart on us. It had 150,000 miles on it, and we wanted something more reliable with a baby coming. Oh and we NEEDED a car with 4 wheel drive. So we listed my Saturn in the paper, and luckily it sold. Now it was on to car shopping.

We were going to go with a Chevy Equinox, but we realized it was too much like my Saturn. We browsed through KSL and found a gently used Nissan Murano that was within our itty bitty budget and we decided that was the way to go. Only problem was it was located in southern Utah. So this past weekend Jordan and I drove the long drive down to pick up our new car. It is perfect! I love it and could not be happier.

So since we LOVE our Nissan Titan, and we LOVE our Nissan Murano, I guess that makes us Nissan people.

1 Year Down!

2011-01-29T19:43:00.000-08:00

1 year ago Jordan and I got married! I cant believe how fast this year has gone by. I thought I would highlight a few things that happened during our first year of marriage:

-We went on a fabulous honeymoon to Cancun
-Moved into a our first home together in Eagle Mountain, Utah
-I quit my job at eBay
-We moved to Mississippi and Alabama for the summer to sell alarms
-Had the opportunity to travel and explore the southern United States
-Got the most surprising/unexpected news that we will be having a baby girl!
-We moved to Idaho Falls
-Both of us started school again. I at BYUI and Jordan and Idaho State
-I got a job at the Post Register Newspaper
-Jordan got a job at Melaleuca
-We made some great new friends
-We experienced the reality and challenges of "grownup" fiances, living with someone of the opposite sex, living with someone who has lots of little "quirks", and making BIG life changing decisions.

-We also learned that marriage really is awesome.
-And the best thing(s) I realized this year is that I never have to go to bed alone, I always have shoulder to cry on, and I get to be with my best friend all the time!

Thanks for a great year Jordan! Here's to a bajillion more years together!

Baby Bedding

2010-12-27T12:27:00.001-08:00

A few months ago (while Jordan and I were living down south) my friend Victoria and I were out exploring Alabama while our husbands were busy at work. While exploring, we came across a little shop located in a strip mall. This shop had the most AMAZING crib bedding. I was not even pregnant at the time, but I was completely sold on this custom crib bedding company. I knew when the time came for me to have a baby, my crib bedding would be coming from this shop.

....FAST FORWARD 7 MONTHS....

I am pregnant. I am starting to put together the nursery. I need bedding. My first thought automatically goes to THE SHOP in Alabama that has my dream crib bedding. I looked at all of their options probably 5 million times and I finally found the one that would be perfect for our little girl.

This is it.

Isn't it perfect? Well I went to see how much my dream bedding would cost and my mouth dropped. Lets just say that this spectacular bedding (complete with all the accessories, extras, monogramming etc) was more than my college tuition. I was devastated.

So...I started looking at more cost friendly places to get the bedding. I finally found one that will work great for our little girl. It is not as wonderful as the custom bedding, but it will do. It is much more budget friendly for us poor newlyweds/college students/soon-to-be parents. And I have a coupon!

Why in the heck is baby bedding so expensive? I just dont get it. Maybe someday we will be able to afford my dream baby bedding. Until then, I think I found a great alternative.

Rachel's Favorite Things

2010-12-15T12:39:00.001-08:00

I love Oprah. Some might say I am a little obsessed with Oprah. Every year I wait for her "Favorite Things" show. During this show she introduces her favorite things of that year and gives her whole audience her "Favorite Things". This year she gave out coach purses, sparkly uggs, a 10 day cruise, the new body style 2011 VW bug, etc etc. I would kill to go to one of those shows.

Well, since Oprah gets to tell the world what her favorite things are, I figured I would post a few of my favorite things this Christmas season.

Miss Me Jeans.
- I am pregnant. One of the worst things about being pregnant is, finding maternity pants/jeans that are long enough for my 6 foot body. My solution to this problem...buy normal jeans and just use a belly band. Below are the jeans I am getting for Christmas from my sweetie pie. I think they are the best looking "maternity" pants out there.

A&W Root Beer
-I sure cant get enough of this stuff lately.

Ugg Boots
-These are a necessity here in Idaho Falls. My mom bought me these gray ones and I am pretty sure I wear them all day, every day. I think everyone who lives in a location where winter weather is terrible should invest in a REAL pair of Uggs.

Merona Brand (found at Target) CASHMAZING Lounge Pant

-I have been on a hunt for years to find lounge wear that is long enough. I FINALY FOUND IT! They kind of look goofy in the picture, but they are simply splendid (and only $20!)

Down Comforter

Nothing beats getting into bed after a long, tiring day and having this warm and cozy comforter to snuggle up in.

And for my last favorite thing.....BASIC SHADE SHIRTS. Unfortunately, Shade went out of business. I am now in a panic trying to find a decent undershirt that is comparable to my all time favorite Shade shirts. I have tried Down East shirts, and quite frankly they suck. Help! I need a recommendation for a good quality undershirt to replace my Shades.

Baby Names

2010-12-13T12:53:00.000-08:00

I posted a poll of our favorite names we have picked out for our little girl. You should vote for your favorite name! I am not guaranteeing the name with the most votes will be her name, but this should be fun to see what everyone thinks.

TIME FOR AN UPDATE

2010-12-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

Today I am home sick from work, so I figure it is a great time to update the blog. We have been quite busy lately.

Jordan and I returned home from Alabama/summer sales a few months ago and we moved to Idaho Falls! Jordan is attending school at Idaho State and I am still at BYU Idaho. We were both fortunate enough to find amazing jobs pretty quick after moving back home. Jordan works for Melaleuca and I at the local newspaper here in town.

We moved into a cute little town home right next door to Jordan's best friend from high school and his cute wife and their ADORABLE baby boy. Below is a quick tour of the downstairs of our home. I would have taken pictures of the upstairs but it isn't very clean right now. :)

Front Hall
Family Room

Kitchen/Dining Room

We are so excited to have a backyard!

As you all know by now, we are expecting our FIRST BABY! It came as a HUGE surprise to us, but we couldn't be happier. We have been having fun preparing for our little one. My mom was sweet enough to buy us our crib and changing table for our Christmas present. Jordan and his dad set it all up.

Here is a picture of our soon-to-be nursery. This room is serving as an office/guest bedroom/storage room/baby nursery. Hopefully we will get it more organized in the weeks to come.

My cute diaper bag.

My stroller! Jordan and I lucked out and found this on KSL for a steal. It is a Phil and Teds Vibe. I am so excited to put our little baby in it.

I went in for my 20 week ultrasound and we found out our little baby is a GIRL!!! Jordan was a little disappointed he isnt getting a boy the first time around, but he is still super excited to have a little girl. I on the other hand am so excited for all the girly things out there. Right after the ultrasound we went shopping. She is going to be the best dressed girl around!

Here is the famous baby belly everyone has been asking to see. I am finally starting to show! This is me at 20 weeks (i would have showed my face, but I just got out of the shower and had no hair or make up on).Here is a picture of our cute little girl. It isnt the best quality because she would NOT cooperate with the ultrasound lady.

I hope you all have a great day and an amazing Christmas season.

Jazz Tickets

2010-11-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Enter Here

Pregnancy

2010-10-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

I have put together another blog to document my pregnancy. You can check it out if you want.

Rachel's Pregnancy

Exciting Life

2010-09-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well I am sure most you of you know already, but in case you do not...

WE ARE EXPECTING OUR FIRST BABY!

Our baby will be joining us May 4th.

We are very excited for our little one to come. I have been having a pretty rough pregnancy so far. Morning sickness is not my friend. Hopefully it passes soon.

New Blog

2010-09-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I started our very own food blog.

Check it out.

Follow us.

Cook cook cook!!!!

Scrumptious Sisters

Just Another Day of Work

2010-07-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

I just want to say how proud I am of Jordan for working so hard. Selling alarms is such a hard thing to do, but he is doing such a great job. Love you Jordy!

What Makes Me Smile

2010-06-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

Everyone has those special things in life that puts a smile on your face. I thought I would share a few of my smile-worthy favorite things. :)

#1) Joshua Radin.
Every single one of his songs makes me smile. I suggest everyone download every song he has. Love Love Love JOSHUA RADIN!! Here are a few of my favorite songs he sings. Just take a minute to listen to them. You will be obsessed.

Today (We used this as our wedding song)
Streetlight (Recently seen on an episode of the Bachelorette)
Brand New Day (Also seen on the Bachelorette)

#2) Hobby Lobby.
Michelle (one of the other wives out here in Alabama) introduced me to this amazing store. I have been five times in the past three weeks. They have the best home decor and every crafting item you can think of. I love it.

#3) Insanity.
I have a love-hate relationship with these workout DVD's. I hate starting them, but by the end I feel so amazing.

#4) Home Decorating Magazines.
I can spend hours and hours looking at home decor magazines. I am getting so excited to move to Idaho and decorate our new place. I felt like I never had time to decorate our town home in Eagle Mountain, because we only lived there for a few months.

I look through my decorating magazines everyday and clip out ideas I like and then I sketch out what I want to do in our new place.

#5) Cooking Blogs.
Jordan makes fun of me all the time because I love looking at cooking blogs. Here are a few of my favorites.

Our Best Bites
Real Mom Kitchen

#6) Good News.
After having a few months of what seemed like all bad news, I am so grateful for good news. Recent Good News:

Jordan is doing well in sales.
We moved out of the hotel.
I have a tan.
Jordan and I are both 100% ready to go back to school in the fall.
My wedding video is done.
Making new friends.
Finding out my best friend (Ashley) is moving back to Idaho.
Summer is here.

"Close to My Heart You'll Be, Sisters Forever You and Me."

2010-05-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

(Barbara Jo, Louisa, Me (Rachel), Janelle, Christine)

I consider myself to be very lucky.

I have four best friends. My sisters. :)

I was lucky enough to fly home last week and spend a week with my wonderful family. I must say, I have the BEST family ever. When I returned home from my fabulous trip, I realized that my sisters truly are my best friends. I already miss my sisters so very much.

Oh and I must not forget my mom as one of my bestest friends.

She is just the best thing that ever walked this earth. :)

And this post would not be complete without saying how much I love my only brother. ;)

And So It Begins

2010-05-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

First off I just want to say...

I NO LONGER WORK FOR EBAY!! YAY! HAPPY HAPPY DAY!

And so our summer begins....

This is us on our way to Mississippi. (It is a 30 HOUR DRIVE!)

It took Jordan and I four days to get to Mississippi. The reason why it took us such a long time to get here:

We stopped at my sisters house in Rock Springs (Thanks for dinner Christine and Rock)
We visited parts of Jordan's mission in Kansas.
The rain was terrible and slowed us way down.
I got sick.
We didnt want to miss the Jazz game, so instead of driving a some extra hours we stopped at a hotel for the night. :)

We are going to be in Mississippi until June 1st. Then it is Alabama for the rest of the summer.

We are living in a hotel right now. No kitchen. No sofa. No personal space. Thank goodness we will get an apartment in Alabama. I miss cooking and eating good food.

Jordan and I are so grateful we switched companies at the last minute. Where we are selling is a gold mine. No other alarm companies have touched this area. The office we are working for is currently the #1 office in APX. We are so blessed to be here. Jordan has had a pretty good start with his sales, but it is going to be a long summer of hard work.

If anyone wants to come visit, i would LOVE the company ;)

Looking Ahead...

2010-04-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Our lives will be changing quite a bit in the coming weeks/months:

1- Jordan goes to Wyoming this week to spend some time with Rock and will try selling some alarms up there.
2- We have to pack up our entire house in less than a week.
3- Jordan’s parents will come down to help us move all of our stuff up to Idaho.
4- Jord and I will be living in an empty house for a week.
5- Jordan will go to Mississippi and start selling for 2 weeks while I stay in Utah and work.
6- I am moving home with the parents while I wait to go join Jordan in the dirty south.
7- I am quitting eBay on April 30th.
8- I fly out to Mississippi/Alabama on May 1st
9- We are going to try our luck with alarm sales.
10- I hope to join a gym and lose lots of weight while Jordan is out selling all day.
11- At the end of the summer we hope to leave Alabama/Mississippi with a nice paycheck.
12- In September we will move to Idaho and FINALLY finish school.

Our Wedding

2010-03-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

We have been married just over a month and life is great! Our wedding day was absolutely perfect. I have been planning my wedding since I was a little girl, and it was everything I ever wanted. everything from the weather, to the flowers, to the hot chocolate buffet, to the apparel, to the first dance, to the golf club house was perfect. thank you to all that helped and came the many miles to help us celebrate. we love you all. enjoy some pictures!!!

Why I Love My Husband

2010-02-21T13:52:00.000-08:00

I asked Jord to help me with dinner. I thought grating cheese would be a nice and easy task for him. I hand my sweet hubby the grater and the cheese and send him off to do his thing. A few minutes later I looked over to see how the cheese grating was going and I see my sweet hubby at the table with the whole block of cheese in hand, grating the cheese on his lap. I thought it was hilarious. I love you Jordy.

Charity Thingy

2010-02-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

So a bunch of people at work convinced me to do this charity bowling thing. I need to raise $100 for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Club in order to participate. I hate asking for money, but if any of you have a penny to spare I would really appreciate it. All you do is follow this link to donate. I will love you forever if you donate. :)

http://blba.us/i.asp?id=339642-284402488-1

50 Questions

2010-02-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

I was tagged! These are questions about me and Jordan.

1. When is your "engagement" anniversary?
September 26, 2009

2. When is your "marriage" anniversary:-
January 30, 2010

3. How long have you known your spouse:
About 2.5 years

4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged?
3 months

5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time?
This is a long story....but i will give the shortened version. I was going to school up at BYUI and Jordan was going to school and playing football at the UofU. One weekend Jordan came up to Idaho to visit friends and family. During his visit to Idaho, He came to Rexburg to hang out with one of his best friends (Tony) who just happened to be my roommate (caitlyn) boyfriend. So Tony brought Jordan over to my apartment so Jordan could meet Caitlyn and I just happened to be there and I met him too. It was anything but love at first sight. Honestly, we wanted nothing to do with each other. :)

6. What is your spouse's full name:
Jordan Glenn Nelson

7. Do you have any children:
Nope....ask in like a year or so

8. How many - boys/girls:
NA

9. Do you have any house pets:
Nope

11. Do you live in the country or town/city:
Well Eagle Mountain is a small country town, but we are surrounded by cities (SLC,Provo, Draper etc)

12. What are some of your favorite activities together:
There are so many!! We love to watch The Bachelor, Desperate Housewives, and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. We love to go to movies and Texas Roadhouse. We like hanging out with friends, visiting family, sleeping, cuddling, vacationing etc.

13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot:
So far we have only been to Arizona and Cancun together....so I guess our favorite vacation spots are Cancun and Arizona. :)

14. When did you first kiss?
Well our "first kiss" happened in the DI parking lot late one night, but I dont count that one. Our FIRST REAL KISS happened a few weeks after we started dating. Jordan and I went on a drive up the Provo canyon and we parked to watch the stars in the bed of his truck and he kissed me. It was amazing.

15. What church do you attend?
LDS Church

16. Did you get married in a church?
Not Really..... Mt. Timp Temple

17. What town is your current address at:
Eagle Mountain

18. Do you work or stay at home:
Work....blah

19. Where did you go on your honeymoon:
Cancun....So much fun

20.What was the funniest gift you gave when dating?
I dont think we ever gave each other funny gifts...I do remember that one weekend I decided to impress Jordan with my cooking skills and make some funeral potatoes and they turned out so nasty. Jordan put on a good face and ate them though. haha

21.How long have you been together?
8 Months

22. How long did you know each other before you started dating?
about 2 years

23. Who asked who out?
Jordan asked me out.

25.Where do you each work or go to school?
I work at Ebay in the Fraud Department, and I go to online school at BYUI. Jord works at Sprint and goes to school at UVU.

26. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Combining our finances and figuring out how much it really costs to live.

27. Did you go to the same school?
Nope. We have never gone to the same school and I dont think we ever will.

28. Are you from the same home town?
Nope. I am from Lindon and he is from Idaho Falls

29. Who is smarter?
I have the book smarts and he has the street smarts. Perfect combination

30. Who is more sensitive?
Me. I am very sensitive and emotional. I dont think Jordan is quite used to such a sensitive person, but he does a great job taking care of me.

31.Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Texas Roadhouse. It is our favorite!!

32. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Cancun....the honeymoon

34. what attracted you about him/her?
His heighth, smile, eyes, and personality. He is the perfect package.

35. Who does the cooking?
Me. But if you need a bowl or cereal or ice cream, Jordan is the one to go to.

36. Who is more social?
Probably Jordan. He is very outgoing and friendly.

37. Who is the neat-freak?
Both of us. We are such neat-freaks.

38. Who is more stubborn?
Jordan.

39. Who hogs the bed?
I think this would be me...I love to sleep and stretch out.

40. Who wakes up earlier?
I do just because I go to work so early, but if it is a weekend it is Jordan for sure. I love my sleep and could sleep all day long.

41. Where was your first date?
We went on our first date after Ashley and Carson's wedding. He took me to Red Robin, then we played tennis and then he took me to visit Tony and Caitlyn. I totally thought he was not into me after our first date.

42.Who had more boyfriends/girlfriends?
I had more boyfriends. But Jordan has kissed more people.

43. Do you get flowers often?
I used to get them every week, but then we realized that is not as special and it is a waste of money. So now I just get flowers on special occasions.

44. How do you spend the holidays?
This year we spent all the Holidays in Utah because I had to work every stupid holiday!! next year we will probably be in Idaho Falls with his family.

45. Who is more jealous?
I dont think we get that jealous......?

46. How long did it take to get serious?
after a few weeks of seriously dating we knew we would get married.

47. Who eats more?
Well since Jord has a lapband, I do. If that lapband was gone though, it would be Jordan hands down.

48. Who does the laundry?
I do most of it, but Jordan does quite a bit too.

49. Who’s better with the computer?
Me.

50. Leave a piece of advice for the other couples:
Appreciate each other always

I tag: BJ, Jaycie, Atty, Christine, and Erynn

Hitched! Finally...

2010-02-07T21:47:00.001-08:00

We tied the knot on January 30th. It was the best day of our lives. More pictures and details to come!

Our Place

2010-02-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

This is our beautiful town home we are renting in Eagle Mountain. I thought I would give you all a preview of our place. I am not done decorating yet, so don't judge my decorating skills quite yet.

The Outside

As soon as you walk in you get the family room, kitchen and dining room.

Just another view of downstairs.

Family Room

Another view of our Family Room

Kitchen (we know the fridge does not match the rest of the appliances, there is a reason behind this, but that is a very long dramatic story)

Our small dining room

Mainfloor Bathroom

The Staircase

Master Bedroom

More Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom Closet

Master Bathroom

Master Bathroom Continued

Guest Bathroom

Our Office/Workout Room/Laundry Room

Guest Bedroom

That's it! I will post more pictures once we finish decorating and furnishing it.

Wedding Dress Experience

2010-01-26T16:34:00.000-08:00

I need to vent…I AM BEYOND LIVID. Please read this looooooooong post and let me know if you think I am in the wrong. I need feedback.

I think I have had the worst customer experience ever!

Back in October I decided to go wedding dress shopping with my mom. We went to a few places, but never really found what I was looking for. We finally ended up at Gateway Bridal (also known as Latter-Day Bride). I have had a few friends get beautiful dresses from there so I figured it would be a good place to go. As I was searching for dresses and trying on I noticed that the sales ladies were not all that helpful, but whatever, I didn’t really care. Not a big deal at all. After numerous dresses I finally found THE ONE dress that was absolutely amazing!! The best part about it was that it was LONG enough; that was my #1 requirement when buying a dress, it HAD to be long enough. So we decided to get the dress.

We go to pay for the dress and we ended up paying way more than we had planned on paying, but since the dress was so perfect we didn’t mind. As soon as we finished the transaction, we expected to take the dress home, but NO! After we paid the lady helping us told us that they have to make the dress in china and we will not get it till early February. Well at this point in time we were planning on getting married in February so we decided we should pay to rush the order so we can have time to alter the dress, and have it for bridals. We paid for an eight week rush and that meant the dress would get here by January 20th. This wasn’t a problem when we left the store, because we were planning on getting married February 27th. We knew we would have plenty of time to get the dress, alter it, and take bridals before the wedding. We were a little upset that we left the store $1200 poorer and dress less for a few months, but at least I was going to have my dream dress.

……..Fast Forward To Mid December………

Jordan and I decided our engagement was way too long. We just could not take the stress of waiting till February, so we decided to move the wedding date up to January 30th. Before we made the official switch I knew I had to check with Gateway Bridal to see if there was anyway to put another rush on the dress to get it to me as soon as possible. I called them and they told me that there was no way to rush the dress because the order was already processed, but we could expedite the shipping for $80 and get the dress on January 11th. I knew that was quite a bit of money but I really wanted to get married a month earlier so I agreed to pay the charge.

… A Few Weeks Later (End of Decemberish)…..

I call Gateway Bridal to check on the status of my dress. The girl I talk to looks at my account and saw that the dress is ahead of schedule and will be here early. She then proceeds to tell me that I will no long have to pay the expedited shipping cost because it was ahead of schedule! I was thrilled!! We hung up on a good note and I was very happy. I was getting my dress early and I did not have to pay that expensive shipping cost.

About a week later I call to check the status of my dress again (just to make sure everything is going ok). Everything looked right on schedule. Right before I hung up I asked to make sure that there would be no shipping charge and the girl on the phone assured me there would be no shipping charge.

A week later I call again to check the status and to make sure the charge was gone. Once again, I was assured that it would be here on time and there would be no charge. (I know that calling 3 times is excessive, but I really wanted to make sure everything was A-OK.)

A few days after my third call to the store I get a phone call telling me my dress is here! I was at work, so I sent Jordan to go get the dress. As he picks up the dress the lady at the register says that we have a $125 dollar shipping fee on the account and he was not allowed to take the dress till that was paid. Jordan calls me to ask who will pay the charge, and I explain to him that Gateway Bridal had told me that there was no need to pay that shipping charge anymore. Jordan delivers that message to the worker and the worker goes in the back to make sure that is okay with the manager. The manager agrees and we take the dress.

Thirty minutes after Jordan left the store I get a call on my phone from the worker that gave Jordan the dress. She was calling to tell us that we need to come back and pay that fee. I was quite upset when I got the message, but I called them on my lunch break and explained that I had talked to a couple employees about that charge and they all told me that there was no charge. The girl on the phone did not know what to say, so she said she would look into it and give me a call back.

Gateway Bridal continued to call me at least 2 times a week leaving voicemails saying we needed to pay the charge because the shipping company was charging them and we needed to pay the shipping company fee. I never got to actually talk to Gateway Bridal again, because they would call me when I am at work and by the time I am off work they are closed. I was quite furious at this point because not only are they going back on their word now, but they upped the price of the shipping by like $50!

Finally, Gateway Bridal called me on a Saturday when I was at the mall with Jordan. I was already having a crumby day, so I asked Jordan if he would handle the phone call. He was super nice on the phone and explained that we were confused because on four different occasions, we were told there was not a charge and now they are charging us $50 more than we expected. The girl on the phone did not know what to say, so she said she would “look into it and give us a call back.” Jordan ended the phone call by asking if they would stop contacting me and go through him for further problems.

The next day I get a nasty email from the store manager going on and on about how it was a mistake on their part but we still need to pay the bill. I was so upset by this point, so I called Jordan and told him about it. Jordan was sick of this crap too, so he decided to call and be firm with them.

Though I did not get to hear the phone call, Jordan said it was not very pretty. Jordan told the store manager that if you tell your customer one thing you need to stick to that and take a hit to keep your customer happy. He also pointed out that on the day he picked it up, the charge was showing on the account, but the store worker got approval from the manager to let us take the dress and not be charged. The manager tried to blame it on their new employee, but clearly we talked to several different people about the charge and how we did not have to pay it. The manager then claimed that Jordan was dishonest. Jordan snapped back with the truth about how we were told so many things and the store went back on their word. The poor manager had nothing else to fight with, so she said, “Your wife is such a chicken for not dealing with this herself.” Jordan of course had a come back for that, “I told the last employee that called us and told her that if you guys had any more problems I would be handling this situation. Plus Rachel is at work when your store is open and she gets off when you close.” The phone call ended with the manager saying, “If I would have known this would have been such a big deal I would have dropped it weeks ago.”

As of now, we haven’t heard from them again. We are praying they drop it. I bet you anything they will just send a bill to my mom’s house. Those weasels. Am I crazy for being upset? I am not usually the type of person to bash a company but I am upset! That is no way to treat a customer. If you tell your customer something you need to stick to your word. If you read this whole post, I am proud of you. I feel much better now that I have vented.

Oh and by the way, the dress came and it was too big and 4 inches shorter than the one I tried on in the store. To top it all off, when I was taking my bridals it ripped in two places.

From my experience: GATEWAY BRIDAL IS RUDE, CHEAP QUALITY, AND DISHONEST.

My Countdown

2009-12-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

I started a sticky note countdown at work of how many days till our wedding... 34 more days to go!

Our Christmas Dinner

2009-12-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

Since I had to work Christmas, Jordan and I had a lovely Christmas dinner in the eBay break room. Jordan picked up the Panda Express (the only place that is open on Christmas day) and we had a lovely 30 minute dinner break together. Merry Christmas!

Our Photographer

2009-12-25T12:45:00.000-08:00

Our photographer posted our engagement pictures on her blog. She is amazing....you should look at her work.

http://www.rachaeltylerphotography.blogspot.com/

Sneak Peek At Engagements

2009-12-06T15:47:00.001-08:00

Here is a few of our engagements! enjoy

Family Picture 2009

2009-11-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

What I Am Grateful For This Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T08:18:00.000-08:00

So here is a list of a FEW of the things I am grateful for this year...

#1- f'Real Milkshakes: these shakes are one of the ONLY THINGS Jordan can eat and keep down. Without these shakes my fiance would starve and that would not be good. They are so good and creamy and delicious. Go to your local Maverick and try one, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

#2- B. Makowsky Bags- If you know me, you know I love my B. Makowsky bag. They are the softest leather and so classy looking. They have so many compartments in them for organization and they have this fabulous cheetah print fabric on the inside. I am very thankful for my B. Makowsky.

#3- My Job- I know I complain about going into work everyday, but I am so blessed to have a job. This job at ebay is the reason I fell in love with my sweetheart, it helps me provide, it gives me benefits, etc etc. I am very thankful for my job. I am also thankful for Jordan's new job at Sprint. We both lucked out to get such great jobs.

#4- Miss Me Jeans in XXLong- Yes, you heard me right...Miss Me just came out with select XXLong jeans. This means that I can now wear these fabulous jeans with heels. What a great thing to be grateful for.

#5- My Parents- Mom and Big D have helped me so much, especially in the past few months. They are so great to work with when planning a wedding. They have been such a great support. I am also grateful for Jodan's parents (Mark and Christine), they have helped us set up our new house, given us great relationship advice and have also been a great support. We love our parents. We would not be here without them. ;)

#6- The Love of My Life- Jordan is so amazing. I could sit here and talk all day about him. He knows me inside and out and supports me in everything I do. He is my companion, my partner in crime, my teammate, and my lover. He is such a hard worker. IF you give him ANY task he will go out and exceed that task you gave him. He works really long and hard hours so he can help support me and get us started on our new life. He has put thousands of miles on his truck going from Idaho to Utah the past few months just to see me. Everyday he makes sacrafices so I can be comfortable and happy. I love Jordan Glenn Nelson and I am so excited to be his wife. I know he will be the greatest husband in the whole world.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.

-Rachel

Engaged For Over A Month...Time Flies

2009-11-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

Wow time sure does fly. Jord and I have been engaged for a little over a month and things are going great! Being engaged and spending time with the one you love is the greatest thing in the whole world (I would recommend getting engaged to all). Anywho, here is an update on our lives!

We finally picked a wedding date!! February 27th in the Mt. Timpanogos temple. We decided to get married in the late afternoon so we are not rushed in the morning and we have plenty of time for pictures. We are going to have a fabulous reception that night at sleepy ridge golf course. It is sooooo pretty! I am so excited to be planning everything (with tons and tons of help of my mom). Here is a pic of the clubhouse where the wedding reception will be. I want EVERYONE to be there that night. There will be dinner, dancing, and lots of fun....SO COME.

Jord and I have been keeping busy working, planning the wedding and going to school full time. It feels like we never have a second to just slow down and relax. Hopefully after the wedding we will ...maybe.

Oh we moved and got our first place together (no worries, we do not live together...I live there right now and Jordan lives at home)! I will have to post pictures once it is all decorated and done. SOme of you are probably thinking, "why in the heck did they already get their house" well let me explain... we found an AMAZING deal on this BEAUTIFUL townhouse in Eagle Mountain, Utah. We contacted the landlord once we stumbled upon it on the internet to find out more information and the landlord said he had about thirty people interested in renting it since it was such a great deal. So Jord and I jumped on the opportunity to have this place. We beat out all those other people and since then we have been getting our place ready. I am so glad we got it early because it has given us time to set things up, paint, buy items for our house, etc. Jordan's parents have been so generous and have given us so many items for our home. My parents have also helped us tons and tons with moving in furniture and getting us set up. I think it is safe to say that Jordan and I have the BEST parents in the world. As soon as it is all decorated I will post pictures. Also if anyone needs a place to stay in Utah feel free to stay in our guest bedroom...hint hint.....:)

Life is very exciting right now and we are grateful for all of our friends and family. We are very excited for the holiday season that is ahead of us. I love Christmas! Okay well Jordan is bugging me to get off right now so I will post again later. Love you all.

The Proposal

2009-09-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

So Jordan and I usually see each other every Friday night (due to school and work). I had a pretty good idea he was going to propose this weekend, but I thought for sure it would happen on Friday night after I got off work or early Saturday morning before we went out of town. It was Thursday at about 5:45pm and I was getting ready to take my 6:00 dinner break when a security guard at eBay came to my desk and informed me my badge was not working and I needed to get it fixed as soon as possible. The security guard just told me to meet him in the lobby of eBay. As I walked through the lobby doors there was my studly man standing there with a dozen red roses. He surprised me and took me to dinner. After my dinner break I returned to my desk and found more flowers waiting for me and a cute little poem.

Oh I forgot to tell everyone, about a hour and a half before Jordan surprised me, he managed to meet with my manager and convinced him to give me Friday off of work. Only Jordan Nelson could pull something like that off.

After distracting Rachel all morning on Friday, i decided i wanted to be unpredictable and throw a little different timing of when i was going to propose to her. After going to lunch and waiting for her family to show up at Nordstrom, i began to take her in and noticed quite a few people looking at us as Rachel tried on shoes. I couldn't figure out how they would have know i was about to drop the big question. After Rachel tried on 2 pairs of shoes i quickly slipped the ring in the 3rd shoe. As i began to put the shoe on her as she was standing up, she quickly said "wait there is something in there still" And as she said that the ring slipped out of the shoe and i got on one knee and asked her to marry me. She quickly said yes and we both stood up and did the cute old newly engaged kiss and Rachel's beautiful family came walking up to us. They had told the staff what was going on and we had quite the audience watching. It couldn't have went better and i caught Rachel quite off guard. It was an amazing proposal.

The Couple That Started It All

2009-09-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you Tony and Caitlyn for helping us get together. We owe you BIG time.

Pictures of the Cute Couple

2009-09-26T00:25:00.000-07:00

How It Started

2009-09-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

Well Jordan and I have two totally different opinions/views on how we first met, so here it goes.

Jordan's Take On Us Meeting:

Rachel came off with that attitude where she wanted no man laying eyes on her and acted as if no man was ever good enuff to fully please her. So after a nice hello on my end of the deal she just walked past me without even giving me a second look and from there on out i knew i had a challenge on my hands!!!

Rachel's Take On Us Meeting:

Jordan came over to my apartment and he was sitting on our living room couch. I walked in the room and saw this strange boy sitting there and me being the friendly person I am, I extended a warm and friendly hello. I was quite sad when my friendly hello was denied because he was too busy texting some other girl. Jordan would not even look up at me! How rude.

Well we will let you be the judge of who is right on that one. Jordan thinks the majority of you will agree with what I (rachel) have to say. :)

So to make a long story short Jordan's best friend Tony married my roommate and best friend Caitlyn. About two years ago Tony and Caitlyn tried to get Jordan to ask me out, but Jordan refused! He swore he would never date a BYU Idaho girl. Jordan and I hung out a few times, but nothing serious ever came of it. We were not too fond of each other.

Okay so fast forward 1 and a 1/2 years...

I was having "boy" problems at work one day. I was consulting with my friend at work on what I should do and he suggested I start dating lots of people and I start flirting with lots of boys. I agreed with him for argument sake and carried on with my day. Well that one friend kept on bugging me to text some boys and so I did and guess who texted me back,yep, Jordan Nelson. When I saw Jordan's text I thought, hmmmm....I havent talked to him in awhile, so I continued to text him.

I guess you can say the rest is history. We spent about two weeks talking on the phone EVERY NIGHT before we officially went out on a real date. Even though our first date was FAR from perfect, we both secretly knew something was there. We have seen each other every weekend since then and spent numerous hours on the phone. We are so in love.

Welcome To Our Blog

2009-09-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

Hello! We are so excited to start our lives together. Jordan and I are head over heels for each other and we can not wait to be married for time and all eternity. Welcome to our blog and enjoy. :)