Weird, Weird, Weird.

I just noticed that the last post I did was when our move was 5 weeks away. It is now two weeks and two days away. I am starting to get a little weirded out by the whole thing. I am so close to being done with school, only two tests tomorrow, then a paper and a final next week. After that, my family comes in for the weekend (woohoo!), then mom and dad Hale come (woohoo!), we pack (umm... boo?), I graduate (woohoo!) and then we leave (umm...). Holy Cow. Tonight we are selling my car, which is a blessing that we have been able to sell it so quickly but that is really making this move real for me. Is it strange that this is all just starting to sink in?

Anyways, I am really excited about our move and everything it just hasn't quite hit me that it is so soon. Wow.

Behold our future

We went out to Boston last week for the MIT admitted students weekend. It was really fun. It really reaffirmed to us that this move is going to be a good thing for us. We really enjoyed Boston too! It rained pretty much the whole time we were there. It was a strange kind of rain, it would just mist and you would hardly know it was raining. It was like this every day except the last day when it POURED- which was a bummer because that was our site-seeing day. Needless to say we didn't get a lot of site-seeing done because we were carting all of our luggage. We did go see Emerson and walked around the Boston Common. We are excited to get to see more!

This is on the Boston common- there are a bunch of monuments around it.

These pictures are for you Sandra-- there is a "frog pond" at the Boston Common-- it was empty while we were there though...

Emerson is right in the middle of downtown Boston! It is well disguised amongst a host of skyscrapers and theaters with huge marquees, it is right smack in the middle of the theater district! My building is an old renovated bank and the program is housed on 3 floors- that' s it!

In front of the Harvard library... I think...

In the subway station by MIT there are these pipes in the middle of the tracks and you swing the handle (what steve is doing above) and you try to get the hammers to hit the pipes and it makes music! We entertained ourselves with this a lot while waiting for the train!


These Pictures are our new apartment! We looked at probably 20 apartments without finding anything we really loved. This was the last apartment we looked at and as soon as we walked in this apartment we were pretty much sold! It is the third floor of a three story home. The house is a super cute old white house with yellow shutters. It was one of the nicest apartments we saw for the money. It's a one bedroom, 1 bath with a little office space and right outside of Harvard square which seems like a really nice safe area. We are really excited about it!

Bay window in the living room

Living room/ dining room

Little Bathroom

Kitchen

Bedroom closet

Bedroom

Office Area


We really had a great time and are getting really excited for our move! It is coming right up- we have five more weeks in Tucson!

NEWS!!! again...

Well, we have made our decision... drumroll please... BOSTON! We are really excited and a little overwhelmed because we will be moving in about two months. Obviously we have a lot of work to do! We have felt really blessed with this opportunity and guided in our decision. We can't wait to see what this new chapter of our life has in store! We are really sad to be living so far away from family- but don't worry, we will be back! And- if anyone wants to visit Boston, now you have a relative you can stay with for FREE! :)

BIG NEWS!!!!

Ok, for those of you who don't know, Steve and I have been going through the painful process of applying to graduate school since about December. We have interviewed and then waited for what seems like forever, but we are starting to hear back! First of all, I heard that I got into the University of Utah. We were really excited! Then this Sunday, we were on a walk and Steve got a phone call which told him that he has been accepted to MIT's Leaders for Manufacturing program (it's a combined MBA and Master of Engineering)!!!!!! WE WERE SOOOOO EXCITED! Then the worry began. Like what if I don't get into the Emerson (the school I applied to in Boston), what would we do etc. etc. Anways, the very next day (yesterday), I went to the mailbox and what did I find? A big fat package from Emerson. I called Steve so we could open it "together" and.... I GOT ACCEPTED TOO!!!! I felt like Rory on the Gilmore Girls, when she is waiting to hear from college and she and Loreli go the mailbox and there is a package for Rory. Loreli says- It's a big one- they don't send the big ones to the one's they reject! We also got the official word from BYU MBA that Steve has been accepted there too.
So that is our big news for now. We are so excited. Now we are trying to make that really big decision of where to go! Just thought we would let all of you know!

A bit of catch up... a bit of new!

Sorry that i haven't done any "real" blogging for a long time. Steve and I are still alive I promise! We've had a lot going on lately so blogging has taken a back-seat! I just wanted to post a few pictures from our Utah trip way back at the beginning of January. We spent a week in Centerville with Steve's family and had a great time as always, snowboarding, playing cards, and hanging out! The biggest surprise was to find out Steve's sister Laura is pregnant! We were so excited for her and Jordan!

Grandpa Hale came with Steve, Brent and me on the first day we went snowboarding! We all had a great time together

On a couple of days, Rach and I decided to let the boys go to the mountain early so we could sleep in. We had a great time getting more sleep and chatting on the way up!

Playin' Hale family favorite- Rook. I can't believe I used to hate this game

This next segment is just a funny story about how much of an engineer Steve is. It goes a little something like this.... I decided to get my bike back from the house I lived in before we got married (I know it's been a while!). I had a padlock on there and had long forgotten the combination, so after I picked it up I decided that I would just leave the old lock on and buy a new one. No big deal right???? WRONG!!!! Steve thought that was a terrible because "it would look stupid". So we go on a trip to Wal-Mart and Steve decides that if got a hacksaw he could saw through my masterlock. We get home and the hacksaw idea doesn't work. I suggest just buying a new lock like I wanted to in the first place, but Steve discovered that a Dremel tool (high powered rotary tool) can cut through a masterlock (Thank you, you-tube). This story ends with Steve buying a Dremel tool and cutting through my masterlock. Two hours and a cut padlock later, I don't have to buy a new bikelock... Haha

Steve with his new Dremel tool about to cut through the lock. (Yes those are ski goggles, he couldn't find his safety goggles)

The cut masterlock... The End!!!

The last weekend in January Steve went to Boston, MA for an interview with MIT. He went alone because we didn't want to spend the extra money for me to go! He had a great time! He loved the city, he loved the program and the school. We are anxiously awaiting the admissions decision that comes next month!

This is is Fenway Park, it was right by the hotel he stayed at. My sister Megan got Steve a killer deal on a hotel in the perfect location. Thanks Meg!

Random cool building....

This is a room in the Boston Public Library, Steve said it was a really cool building and most rooms were like this. Wierd huh?

Steve in downtown Boston...

For Valentines Day, we decided to forego giving eachother gifts and take a weekend away. We went up to Flagstaff, AZ, went snowboarding and spent the weekend. We had a total blast and it was sooo worth it! Luckily, Flagstaff got a record snowstorm a couple of days before we went boarding and there was great snow, and it was so beautiful! The first night we were there my friend Katie let us stay in her Dad's empty house. It was so nice, however the only drawback was the room we stayed in had twin beds. I felt like Lucy and Ricky Ricardo!!! We went snowboarding all day Saturday which was awesome! I learned how to CARVE, woot woot, and I finally got enough courage to go into the terrain park to watch Steve do some sweet tricks! After boarding, we checked in to our super cute bed and breakfast and got ready for dinner. We decided to avoid the fancy shmancy restaurants and head to Flagstaff's "favorite" pizza place. It was a good choice-- Yum! On Sunday we headed to Mesa cause my cousin Brock came was reporting his mission. We saw a lot of family and it was great to be there with all of them. Oh yes, Steve had another interview on Saturday with Kellog business school (Chicago), he could do an off campus interview and luckily his was in Gilbert. So we got to spend the night with my lovely mother and go to the temple on Friday afternoon. It was the perfect weekend!!!!!!!!!

Lucy and Ricky Beds

Beautiful Snowbowl ski resort

Us on the SLOW lift!

This was the first time the WRX really drove in snow, Steve thought it deserved documentation :)

The super cute Bed and breakfast we stayed in for the night- the Abineau Lodge

The view out of our window- we looked for animals but unfortunately saw none.


Last but not least, Steve has bought himself a mountain bike that he is practically in love with. I like to call it his mistress. Haha. But really the man loves this bike, he knows everything about it, each component, and why it's good, etc. etc. It has been really fun to both have bikes though. We have been going on night bike rides together. The other night we went on a bike ride and apparently rode through a huge sticker weed patch. When we got home I pulled some stickers out of my tires and immediately heard the hissing of a punctured tube, not just one tube but both the front and back. Only Steve's front tire was punctured! Anways we tried to fix mine tonight, and I found 6 holes in one tube and 8 in the other. We decided to just get new tubes instead of trying to fix all of those holes!

A Good Laugh

30 random things you may not know about me!

Ok I got tagged with this facebook but thought maybe you non-facebookers might like to see it.

1. If I am bored at home in the afternoon, I turn on dumb TV shows that I used to love 10 years ago (e.g. Full House, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, etc) After every time I do this i think to myself that show is dumb I shouldn't turn it on anymore. It apparently hasn't worked yet.

2. I HATE touching raw meat, it can make me gag

3. I have recently discovered my creative side. I love to scrapbook, am learning to sew, and still trying to get my apartment looking cute!

4. I try to convince myself daily to work out. I always have an excuse why I shouldn't but after time I workout, I feel like a million bucks!

5. Before I met Steve, I had never done anything with "-----board" in the name, now I am an avid wakeboarder and snowboarder

6. I have never gone skinnydipping in my life

7. I love riding my bike, and am excited that I finally have mine back and in working order!

8. I think Blue Bell ice cream is the end all say all of ice cream.

9. I am currently applying to FIVE graduate schools, and am totally SICK of writing about myself!

10. I love the Fall, it is my favorite season and the lack of it is one of the reasons why i am done with living in Arizona

11. I love flowers and plants and wish I could grow them.

12. I am a bargain hunter. I don't think I have bought more than 10 things in my entire life full price (It is possible that's an exaggeration).

13. At one time in my life, I owned more than 50 pairs of shoes.

14. Someday I want to buy a really old house and redo the whole thing. Or build a house that looks old and avoid all the remodeling....

15. What Not to Wear is my favorite tv show besides the Office (Steve detests What not to wear)

16. I always swore I would NEVER EVER be one of those people who gets married as a 19 year old. I got married when I was 19 and a half.

17. I am dying to know where Steve and I are going next year. The suspense is killing me

18. I am terrified of pregnancy. I don't want all of those bad things to happen to my body!!!!

19. Last week, an old woman tried to hit me with her purse, in the movie theater.

20. I can sing the free credit report.com commercial songs. Sad I know.

21. Someday I want to learn fluent Russian so Steve and I can talk to each other in it and maybe live in Russia for a few years.

22. I am super tight with my family and my in-laws. I love them all!!!

23. I hate shoes that cover my whole foot or that I have to wear socks with. I love ballet flats and flip-flops.

24. I used to think I wanted to have 12 kids. I am not sure what I was thinking now.

25. I told Steve I loved him first and I am the one who brought marriage up!!! Haha, I am not a patient woman!

26. I am a huge fan of snuggling. I love falling asleep in Steve's arms!!!

27. I have never mowed a lawn.. ever.. i hopefully never will

28. My dad wanted to name me Abreeza. When I was little I liked it and pretended it was my name. I would even write it as my name on school assignments

29. Steve has had to travel for business and other things without me at least ten times since we've been married. I used to think it would get easier the more he left but I think it's still just as hard.

30. I have a jacket fetish. If I could buy a million of one clothing item, it would probably be jackets.