March, End of the Semester, and Preparation for the SUMMER :)!

Time to catch up. NOTE: this post is incredibly random so bare with me. It's been a busy semester between family visits, The Lucky Crickets, finals, events, graduation, parties with great friends, and planning for our trip! So here we go.

I know I showed a picture of Trent and I snowboarding but I though I could show some more including Trent's first time skiing!

Like Trent's one-zy? Hehe.

Goofy

Sister love (go to her site)

After such a great time spent in Park City, Trent and I got into the March Madness as the BYU team made it into the top 16 with the infamous Jimmer Fredette.

Watching the game with our friends Matt and Mari (on the right of us)

On one of the weekends in March I was able to help host a bachelorette party for my dear friend Kelsey. She and I have been close since middle school and have known each other for even longer. I'm so incredibly happy she has found her soulmate! Though I wasn't able to go to her wedding, I was happy and honored to join in the festivities somehow!

Silly Kelsey...

A development in Provo, The Riverwoods, has just been remodeled. In celebration, they hosted a music concert right before finals with special guests Sugar Ray. It was so fun to see a band from my childhood.

At the concert with bandmate and best friend Brandon

with my BESTEST best friend

such a cutie

We finally finished buying all our essentials for our Europe trip. Thanks so much for everyone's comments and e-mails with recommendations on what to buy, where to go, etc! We truly appreciate your help.

On one Saturday morning, Trent and I drove to the Salt Lake City REI for their seasonal garage sale. We feasted in the springtime deal finding barely used gear for our trip and saved hundreds of dollars doing so! When we came back home, Trent HAD TO play with all our new gadgets. Here he is figuring our our fleece sleeping liner that we'll use as sheets to avoid the dirty ones at any Bed and Breakfast we stay at.

silly Twent

Finals were particularly easy for Trent and I this semester as we both had lots of papers, projects, and presentations instead of exams. We were extremely grateful for this because at the beginning of finals my dad got double-knee-replacement surgery. Trent and I were able to be there in his hospital room the moment he woke up from surgery. I'm please to say he is doing exceptionally well; so well that the nurses in his rehab hospital nurses nicknamed him "Houdini."

his first walk less than a day after surgery!

he's now walking with only one crutch (that he throws up in the air sometime). My dad's a superman! I look up to him so much!

Two days ago Trent graduated. This is the first of many graduations to come for him and me. He's continuing on to grad school in manufacture engineering in the fall. We should both graduate at the same time in 2012 :) Then who knows were we go next...

Trent's parents, Sandy and Richard, treated us and my mom to La Jolla Grove (also at the Riverwoods). It was so delicious. Thanks a bunch for a fantastic day!

Of course, since this summer we will travel Europe and work in Tulsa, we have to say our goodbyes to our friends. We'll miss them but always look forward to making new ones along the way.

Saying goodbye to Nara, Trent's Korean roommate for 2 years, and Brett

Having fun and saying goodbye to Andy and his beard.

HAHA!

Please keep my blog in your bookmarks for the next five weeks. Trent and I will TRY to update it as much as possible while traveling through eight countries. Until then, ciao!

Announcement: EUROPE 2011

EUROPE!

Well the cat's out of the bag and the rumors are true. Trent and I are backpacking Europe this summer. To decode the map: What we hope to travel through is in BLUE, our simplifications are in RED and the extra hopefuls (and unlikely's)are in PURPLE.

We leave April 27th and arrive in Madrid late on the 28th. We'll then have four weeks to go wherever the wind takes us (including bull chasing, castle spotting, church viewing, SCUBA diving, site seeing, painting, buying souvenirs, and so forth). Most of our nights will be spent on Euro Rail as we bought global passes through 22 countries. Trent and I hope to finish our Trip in Buchs where his Brother Ian and his family live.

Sicily Amphitheater

Neuschwanstein Castle

spain bullfighting

We've made a lot plans thus far but have a long way to go. Any suggestions, recommendations, tips, etc. would be extremely appreciated. We will not change our minds and go anywhere other than the area we have included on the map (so don't tell us we HAVE to go to the UK, Scandinavia, Greece, whatever). We're trying to keep a tight budget but also care a lot about enjoying our time since we will have traveled so far to get there.

Any "have-to-pack" items? We've got towels, sleeping bag liners, safety belts, and emergency kits.

Any places we have to see in these countries? Where's your favorite place in Europe that we'd regret to miss?

Any tips for two vulnerable young people in a foreign place?

Any hilarious stories about your trip abroad (Europe or elsewhere)?

(Spending time in the Fijian Bathroom. At least there was TP!)

One of my favorite stories is when I realized I was intolerant to coconut milk in Fiji, a country that basically has no fresh water and rinses all of their food in the milk before preparing meals. Needless to say, I spent many hours in the bathroom.

(woman resisting the urge to touch Trent's lucky hair)

One of Trent's favorite parts of living in Vietnam is how all the people in the area loved touching his hair.

We look forward to your comments!!!

I'm a no-picture-taking turd...

I have been so bad this month in taking picture. But without waiting any longer, let me tell you what Trent and I have been up too!

Valentine's Day was fantastically romantic with my dear sweetheart. Trent surprised me with 2 mint chocolate brownies from The Chocolate, a girl's greatest sin.

Also, my band has had some great performances. From now on the posts and updates for The Lucky Crickets can be found here.

On the 20th, Trent and I drove to PC to play with Miranda, Reza, and our darling niece, Leila. We had so much fun baking, playing pretend and just being with friends and family. The following day, we went to Park City Mountain Resort for a day of snowboarding. The weather conditions were perfect not to mention we had a snowstorm the previous night. Trent and I were in powder heaven; we forgot how much we missed the slopes.

warming my tush by the warm fire during lunch break

On the 23th we babysat Leila and I successfully put her to bed all by myself! For those of you who know the triumph of tucking a little 3 year old into bed when you're not the mommy, you know the success I felt that night.

24th was TRENT'S B-DAY! He turned 25 and we made no downplay of the event. Trent woke up to delicious homemade egg mcmuffins made by Miranda. He opened his first collection of presents including gummy worms, a freezer mug, apples for apple crisp, and MONEY. That evening, Trent and I found him new snowboarding pants at a local store that zip into his burton jacket. We have completed his snowboarding outfit! Now all that's left are snowboard, boots, and bindings. Trent was so happy with his new pants that he put them back on when we got home and watched NBC's comedy line up in them.

silly twent

Trent's BFF Brett called and invited us to Jump on It, a party place full of trampolines. Needless to say it was the best way to end this momentous occasion.

Birthday Boy Riding an Elephant

with our great friends Brett and Adam

very similar to fern gully water jumping (go to time 1:30)

Levitational Love

backflipping tricks

The following day I went to a hair school my great friend Brooke attends and got my hair cut and colored by her. She did a fantastic job and it was so great to reconnect with her :)

That weekend my parents, along with the Christensen family, came into town. Trent and I got in another day of snowboarding and had a fabulous fun filled time playing in the snow with the nephew, building snowmen, sledding, teasing, and eating delicious homemade treats (the Tueller way).

That next week we alternated days visiting park city with the family and going to school (the real world). Trent even experienced his first full day of Skiing at Deer Valley!

It was sad for all the family to leave but makes us that much more excited for out next reunion. Fortunately I got a great hour of shopping at Tanger outlets with my momma. Many thanks to her and her spoiling ways!

Some New Items

Since last year, I've made some new enhancements to my humble abode. I'm convinced a basement apartment can still be cute. Enjoy!

A missionary from Trent mission made this for him.

Christmas Gift from Miranda!

Made by Uncle Wendall

New tablecloth made by my dearest mom! :)

This room is now called the Red Room

January 2011

Provo winter from my window.

WINTER 2011 Classes

- Orientation to Dance (my teacher reminds my of Prof. Trelawney)
- Music Business (very interesting with guest speakers almost every week. I'm convinced I will be famous)
- Voice Lessons (fantastic teacher, Korianne)
- Voice Coaching (also insightful teacher, Amanda)
- Business Communication (super strict teacher; reminds me the days I wore blackwatch plaid)
- Public Management (my teacher reminds me of Wormtail)
- and FOLK Ensemble (my favorite)

On top of this schedule, I teach beginning Jazz at BYU, private dance lessons, and Musical Theatre at Geneva Elementary. I also just recently signed my name for the dessert club coordinator at church. WHY!!? You might ask?

This semester, Trent is taking hard classes too. But his are really interesting because he's in graduate school. This gives him adequate time for homework, work and Thursday's NBC comedy night.

Ron Swanson, character from NBC's Parks and Recreation

On MLK weekend, Trent and I drove to Las Vegas to visit my parents. We played spades, ate delicious pot roast, watched Fiddler on the Roof (which Trent LOVED), visited Red Rock, and experienced Cirque Du Soleil: Viva Elvis.

If anyone reading this blog ever considers watching a Cirque show, Viva Elvis is the one to see. The music was all live except for Elvis' vocal track. The dances were so unique, enlivening, and overwhelmingly beautiful. Needless to say, I cried multiple times and had to buy the $20 album afterwards (only to find out you can get in on Itunes for $10...).

Other activities since Las Vegas include dinner with Bridgette and Christian, Mary and Matt, and Nana and Fa; movie-time with Sarah and Jordan (they have the best taste in movies); spades with Bridgette and Christian (boys against girls, we are currently at tie); two gigs with the Lucky Crickets; homemade cafe rio sweet pork by TRENT!; and a special free dinner to Tucanos for Trent's B-day.

Dinner at Tucanos :)

Sorry I'm super lame and have no pictures this month...I'll be better this time around!