Sunday, August 22, 2010

Joe's 27th Birthday


I know it's been a while, but here are some pictures of Joe's birthday.


This is what he woke up to on his birthday. I made sure that since I messed up being Santa at Christmas and filling his stocking, that I had to be sure to wake up in the night to decorate for his birthday. Mission accomplished=)
Joe always likes to guess what his presents are before he opens them. This year he got all three right! Totally not fun for me=) He got a big pack of golf balls from Costco, a bag of almonds,(he's been wanting them for some reason) a new blender (I just bought one cause we needed it and decided to wrap it for his birthday cause he's always complaining about our other one) and if he ever decides what golf clubs he wants then he will also get those. I tried taking him after he opened his presents to buy them, but he said it's a process and he's not sure which ones he wants.=)
For his birthday dinner he just wanted to stay home and requested roast beef with all the fixins. I found a small ice cream cake for that night. It was really yummy!
On Saturday (two days after his birthday) we went out with James, Shelby, Dave, Serena, and Maggie to Red Robin. We had a lot of fun and the food was great!
After dinner James and Shelby came back to the apartment for cake and ice cream..........
.............and some great fun with the wii! We love Mario Kart!=)

He said he had a great birthday! Thanks to all of you who sent cards and gifts or wished him a happy birthday. He's really starting to see how fun birthdays are when you get lots of cards in the mail, and get to celebrate it with family!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Missing Grandma











Today is the one year anniversary of the death of my grandma. I just wanted to take a minute to remember her and what an amazing woman she was. I have thought a lot about her this weekend, and have replayed over and over again in my head this day, a year ago. I will never forget it, or the feelings I had when I woke up that morning in San Antonio to several missed calls and I just knew she was gone.

Zsa was such an incredible woman. She is one of my heros! She has always taken care of others and put them before herself. She was a nurse by profession, and a mother of three. She married an alcoholic and basically raised three children on her own. She was a strong willed woman and didn't let her husband walk all over her. She made sure that the kids had a wonderful childhood and took them on vacations, and to see family, and loved having their friends over to play. If her husband wasn't going to help her, then she decided she would do it on her own. They were later divorced and my grandpa died shortly after I was born. Zsa was always surrounded by friends. She was a true friend to so many people. Even during her last months on earth a friend that she had had while in nursing came out and took care of her for a few weeks.

Zsa was an incredible grandma. She loved her family so much. She moved to Utah from Kentucky in 1998 to be near her two daughters and their children. She made sure she was at every important event of our lives like birthdays, graduations, baptisms, setting apart for callings, weddings, etc. She used to come to my parent's house on Sundays for dinner. We LOVED having her. If she called and said she wasn't going to make it one Sunday, the kids would call and beg her to come. If she'd made up her mind though, she wasn't coming=) My dad would always give her a hard time about the way she would pronounce things with her southern accent. Piana(piano), Winda(window), Mirra(mirror). She would give him a hard time back. I loved hearing them tease each other. I loved going to her house to visit, or to help her. Before my mission I used to go to her house and help her mow the lawn, or trim her rose bushes and pick weeds. Sometimes when I would get there early in the morning and she would still be asleep, I would start the yard work. As soon as she knew I was there she was up and dressed and would come out to help. She wasn't one to just sit by and watch someone else work. She'd sweep up, or hose the grass clippings, help with the roses, or whatever she could find. I loved being with her. She became one of my close friends. When I was having a down day I would go to her house and she would cheer me up. She was always a happy person and she loved to talk. I could listen to her tell stories of her life for hours. The grandkids always loved going to her house to spend the night. Sometimes instead of sleeping in the guest bedrooms, we'd just crawl in bed with her. She loved spending time with us.

Grandma was one of the funniest people I have ever met in my life. I don't think I have laughed as much since she's been gone. She never tried to be funny. It was just the way she said things, and sometimes she would say things you didn't expect her to say but she was just telling it like it was. Her accent made things so much funnier too. Joe and I still joke about when my entire family watched the movie "Bedtime Stories" a few months before she passed away. She was watching it with us for a bit and then she got up out of her chair and said "This is the stupidest movie I have ever seen!" and we all just busted up laughing. She just said what she thought!

This year has been very hard without her. I can't tell you how many times I have thought about or missed her. When someone has always been a part of your life, and then all of the sudden they're gone it's very hard. I think the hardest thing was not having her at my wedding. She was there for all of my sibling's weddings, and when I look at our pictures and she's not in them it breaks my heart. I know she was there in spirit at the temple with us. The sealer told us at the beginning of the ceremony that he could feel the presence of others with us in the room who had passed through the veil. I had been praying that I would be able to know she was there, and that Joe would be able to feel that his mom was there. When the sealer said that, I knew my prayers had been answered. Even though she wasn't physically at our wedding, I feel blessed that she got to meet and get to know Joe. She loved him so much. I feel like she was just hanging on until she knew I had met someone wonderful. She had worried about me and who I had dated before and I knew it was a real concern for her. A couple days before she passed away, I just had the feeling that I needed to go home from work and spend some time with her. Aunt Vicki, and my mom , I think either Emily or Justina, and I were there with her in her room. I laid next to her in her bed and we all just sat there and talked. Joe had already had to leave to go back to Texas and Aunt Vicki asked me how things were going and when we were getting married. Zsa opened her eyes and perked up and said that before he had left that he had told her that he was going to propose. I think that gave her comfort to know that I was in good hands. I feel so blessed to have her has my grandma. I couldn't have asked for a better role model and friend. She served in the temple, volunteered at Red Cross, fulfilled her church callings, attended a FHE group, and she loved the gospel. She was a convert along with my mom and my aunt. My mom joined at 19 and they joined shortly after. She dropped all her bad habits, and never looked back. I know one day we will be reunited. Until then, I hope that as I go through life that I can aspire to be even half the woman she was. I love her and miss her so much. Your legacy will live on Zsa! You won't ever be forgotten!







Sunday, August 8, 2010

My Sister, My Friend


Today is my baby sister's 21st birthday!!! I can't believe it! I wish I were there to celebrate with her, but it's not possible this year. She's an amazing sister, and not only that but she's one of my very best friends! Ever since I can remember, she was my little buddy! When she was born my parents lived in California and were training to become owners of a grocery store. They both worked, and I can remember having to help a lot with my brothers and sister. My mom says I was her second mother. I have always felt the need to watch out for her and protect her, and I have come to realize that I can't just turn that side of me off=) I still feel that way. Even though we're 6 years apart in age, we were always really close friends. Of course we had our fights, and she would steal my clothes, and do the things that little sisters do but I feel like we were always close. Before I left on my mission my parents had moved into the home they live in now but the basement wasn't finished so there were only 3 bedrooms including the master. My brother and I went to live with my grandma for a few months until we left on our missions and Tiffany and Dallin lived with mom and dad. Joseph left on his mission before me, and it was really hard for me to be at my grandma's without him for some reason. So, I would pack up a big bag of all my junk to get ready, and take some clothes and head to my parent's house. I would share a room with my sister, and I think we became even closer. Sometimes she would hear me walking down the hall with my "big bag" (as she called it) and she would tell me to take my big bag and head to grandmas.(jokingly) Growing so close before I left didn't make it any easier to leave on my mission though=)

As a teenager I remember that I could persuade her to hang out with me if none of my friends could hang out. I'd want to go shopping and she wouldn't want to go but if I told her I would buy her a new shirt or something she was totally on board=) I didn't mind, because I liked having her there with me. After my mission our rooms were in the basement next to each other and sometimes at night she would want to talk. I'd be tired and already in bed and before I knew it I could hear my door opening, and Tiff trying to quietly crawl across the floor and over to the other side of my bed. She would try to sneak up in my bed with me and she would just crack up when I asked her what in the heck she thought she was doing!=) There were nights where I can remember us laughing so hard that we were crying! She has always had an amazing sense of humor and has always kept me laughing. Our family always planted a pretty big garden and I can remember being out there with her picking weeds. I'd be on one side and she'd be on the other. Next thing I knew I was hit in the back of the head with a green tomato! Of course she was on the other side cracking up, and it started a tomato war=)

She was my little guinea pig when I went to beauty school. I would drag her into my school to practice on her. I remember having this idea in my head one day at home where I wanted to put all her hair in little twisted buns. I had seen it in a music video or something. Well, I did it! I finished just in time for her to go to piano and she hated it! She was crying to my mom that she had to look like an idiot in front of her piano teacher. I think she wore a hoody to hide it, until her teacher asked her why she had a hood on inside=) Ha ha ha! I put her through a lot with her hair throughout the years, and I can't thank her enough for always putting up with me.
I can remember sitting at the piano with her for hours and playing and singing together. She was the more talented one and always amazed me! I could listen to her play for hours. We both enjoyed music and I remember when I bought her her first concert ticket, she was ecstatic! We've been to several concerts together since then and she always makes it so much fun! She is a very talented woman! She took up cake decorating recently and I can't even believe some of the amazing cakes she can make!

Tiffany has always been a good example to me and the rest of our family. She had a strong testimony as a teenager and I can remember countless times walking past her room and seeing her reading her scriptures or kneeling in prayer. She stood by me through my personal struggles and made me want to be better because I saw how happy she was. She has always been a very loving person. I watched her with my dad's Aunt, Vivian, as she neared the end of her life. She was so patient and loving and took time to visit her in the nursing home. I watched her as my grandma grew older and more weak, and Tiffany would go and spend time with her, and help her with whatever she needed. I know that my grandma loved and appreciated her so much! She has always taken care of those in need. She served in a stake calling as a teenager, working with a special needs group, and I know that she made a difference in those kid's lives. I also know how much she loves her family and would do anything for anyone in need. Joe and I loved having her here in Texas with us for a visit this past year, and in July when we went to Utah she took the entire week off to spend time with us. She was there with us for almost everything we did, and that really meant a lot to us. She is one of the most amazing people I know, and I'm so glad she's my sister.

I have SOOOOO many memories with Tiffany and I will always cherish them. It has been extremely hard being away from her. She's always the hardest one to say goodbye to. I'm so thankful that 21 years ago today, I was blessed with a new baby sister and a best friend for eternity! Tiff, you are an amazing sister and I love you! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!


Joseph Robert Berg


So, I have decided to do something that my sister-in-law (Brittany) has done on her blog. Whenever it's someone's birthday in her family she writes a little bit about that person and why she loves them. Joe's birthday was on August 5th and I know it's a few days late but I wanted to share a few reasons why I love him so much.
There are so many things I love about Joe. I mean just look at that cute little face! What's not to love? He has taught me so many things over the past 18 months that we've known each other. He's the kind of guy I always hoped I would marry, and I can't believe he's really mine! Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming=) I love so many things about him, but I will just mention a few.

1) He is always making me laugh! Sometimes after work when we're cuddled up on the couch he will just start doing the most random things to make me laugh. He's been known to act like a puppy, talk in funny voices, pretend my arm is an ear of corn and proceed to pretend to put butter, salt and pepper, and then munch up and down my arm like he would a cob of corn. I mean who does that? =) I can't help but crack up every time! Joe is a little kid at heart and I'm thankful for that.
2) He hates going to bed without me. I think this is so cute! If he's ready to go to bed but I'm not, he will come to wherever I am and sit there and wait for me. He says "I'm not going to bed without my wife." (most of the time I am considerate of him and will head to bed shortly after)
3) He is one of the most selfless people I know. He is always doing sweet things like bringing home flowers, or turning down the bed for me, or helping me with dinner and the dishes. There have been several times where he's done laundry, ironing, and cleaning after he's been at work all day and he'll tell me "now everything's done so that you can enjoy your day off tomorrow." Not many guys would do that!
4)He loves adventure! It's hard sometimes for him to just sit at home. He loves to be out doing things! He loves planning activities or vacations for us. After a while of dating I told him it was getting hard to keep up with him financially because of all the fun things he was planning.=) Snowmobiling, Moab, Jet Skiing, Camping, and the list goes on and on. He would ask me if I'd ever done this, or seen that and if I said no, he was planning when we would do it! I love that he works hard, but he also plays hard!
5)He's so good with children! Sometimes I just watch him in awe when he's around children. He just has a way with them that makes them feel loved. When we go to visit his nieces and nephew or even visiting people in the ward who have children, he loves playing with them and getting them to laugh and have fun. At a primary activity we had, this little boy just clung to him and didn't want anybody else to hold him. When Joe put him down to help pass out cookies he just started bawling! I know he's going to be an amazing father one day.
6)He loves the gospel! Having someone who is by my side at church every Sunday, and who I get to serve in the primary with, and read scriptures with, and go to the temple with, has been such a wonderful blessing for me. Having dated less active or inactive members before and longing to have what I have with Joe, I can honestly say that it's so much better having someone who's on the same page and who helps me want to be a better person.
7)He's so knowledgeable! I am amazed at the things he does for work on a day to day basis. He's juggling all these projects at one time and he's doing a really great job! Not only that, but it seems like he has had every job under the sun and whenever I have questions or something needs to be fixed, he knows what to do or he can figure out what to do! He's my little handy man=) I'm sure one day when we have a home that I will get to see how talented he really is!=)
8)He's an incredible husband! I have never been treated so well, and felt so loved by anyone more than I do with Joe. He is always telling me how much he loves me and how much he appreciates me, and he doesn't just say it, he shows me! He works so hard to provide for us and when he gets home he's always there for me as my husband and friend. I also love that he loves to do things with me and includes me in almost everything!
9)He's a clean, organized person! Joe makes it so easy to live with him=) He keeps things clean and organized and I rarely have to clean up after him. I'm thankful for his parents making him do chores every Saturday, and teaching him to be clean=)
10) He loves his family! I love how much he loves his family. He would do anything for any one of them. He's very supportive and loves to hang out and spend time with them! It's been so good for me to have them, since I'm away from my family. We have had a lot of good times and wonderful memories and there are many more to come.

There are so many more things I could say, but I'll end with ten! The longer we're married the deeper my love and appreciation for my husband grows. I'm so glad that Heavenly Father led him into my life and that Joe never gave up on me. I couldn't have married a more wonderful person! I love you babe, and I hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Astros Games with Andrey


A couple Fridays ago Andrey's mom asked if I could stay late because she had a dinner with work that she and her husband needed to go to. Joe had gotten baseball tickets from work and had 4 for that evening, so I told Carol we would just take Andre with us. His sisters had a birthday party to go to, so we just had to take him. It was a lot of fun! He loves Joe and is obsessed with cars and trucks, so it was a blast for him to ride in "my husband's truck"!=) I took his leapster to keep his attention when he got bored. They had fireworks afterwards and he was totally mesmerized! It was a little harder than going with just the two of us, but we took it as a learning experience for when we have kids of our own=) Here are some pictures of the night.
There was a car giveaway and Joe loves the Challenger, and Andre is obsessed with cars so they had to stop to take a look!
He got hungry and got his own personal pan pizza. He cracked me up because he would pick the pepperoni off the pizza, eat the pizza, and then eat the pepperoni. Funny kid!
He likes to pretend he's a car. He puts his hands out like this and pretends they're his side mirrors. He does this all the time!
After the game we stayed to watch the fireworks show that they do on Fridays. He loved the loud noises they made, and loved the lights in the sky.
Joe kept trying to get pictures of him watching the fireworks. Whenever he tried, the flash would distract Andrey. He was getting annoyed so he just put his hand up. It made us laugh!
Outside the baseball park they have these big baseballs along the sidewalk so we put him on one to take a picture. He had such a fun night! It was fun for us to do something together with Andrey.