The Routine

Although a normal day for me isn't thrilling, I'm content. My day to day routine doesn't vary much, yet it is filled with things to be grateful for.

This is a unique time in our marriage -- we are both going to BYU and working on campus. Christian is majoring in computer science and has about two years of schooling left. I am a communications major with a print journalism emphasis and will receive my bachelor's this August (Yay Stacie, yay!). Christian works at the BYU Bookstore as the e-commerce web guy. I work for The College of Physical and Mathematical Science as a writer/reporter.

I admit, I get stuck in the routine and tend to complain pretty regularly about how I wish I could be done already. But this morning I was thinking about all the little things that occur in my life on daily basis. These things may seem insignificant, but truly are blessings.

• Christian and I wake up together to get ready for work at 8am
• We walk to campus/work together 
• We meet for lunch at 12:00 noon and spend a half hour eating together and catching up on each other's day so far
• We get off work at the same time (except for when I have class)
• We walk home together
• We make dinner together
• Make our lunches for the next day
• And then spend the rest of the night just hanging out together

The common factor in each of these bullet points is togetherness. We go to work. We make lunches. We take turns using the bathroom mirror in the morning as we're getting ready for the day. Being with Christian is what makes the routine fun, and on bad days, bearable. I realize that not all couples go to the same school, have the same work schedule, or can even go to bed at the same time. It's realizations such as this that make me grateful for the routine.

Our Weekend in San Diego

This past weekend, Christian, my siblings Steph and Michael, and I took a little trip to San Diego. Well, that statement isn't completely accurate, it was a really long trip -- the driving part at least. Despite the 10+ hours stuck in a car just to get there and the same amount to get home, it was a super fun get away. We had ourselves quite a little adventure :)

Our fearless leader. This guy drove the entire way. We joked that he should write a story about driving to San Diego. "There and Back Again," a ginger's tale by Christian Carnley :)

On our way there, we decided to stop in St. George for a fill-up. Turns out, we needed more than just gasoline -- our tires were bad. Good thing we stopped for gas! So while Christian was getting new tires put on the car, Steph, Michael, and I bought these cute little string dolls out of a coin machine. Steph got a superhero, Michael a ninja, and I got a little green man.

They're kind of cute huh?

Three dashboard dolls and four tires later, we were off again! We finally made to to our hotel later that night. The next day the fun really began! We woke up bright and early Friday morning and headed to the San Diego temple. Why? Because one of my favorite people in the world named Heather Lee Miller (Flint) was getting married!! We drove all the way from Provo because I just love her so much :)

Christian and I being super excited to go see Heather and Caleb!

The GORGEOUS San Diego temple!

I am so grateful Heather and Caleb shared their special day with us. It was absolutely beautiful. They both looked so happy, and we were sure happy to be there! I cried.

After the temple, Steph, Michael, Christian, and I headed to Coronado Island for some much anticipated beach time. It was a little windy, but other than that, the weather was perfect.

Eating lunch at an outdoor pizzeria.

The beach!!! There is some sort of military airport base thing close by Coronado
Island. We saw numerous helicopters, fighter jets, and airplanes fly over our heads. We even saw battleships and submarines off the coast. This was Christian's favorite part :) 

Enjoying the sun :)

The water was a little chilly, but totally worth it. Michael and Steph even found some tide pools with little fish, friendly hermit crabs, and regular crabby crabs in them.

After we had our fill of the beach, we headed back to the hotel so Christian and I could change back into our church clothes and head over to Heather and Caleb's reception.

Look! We're both married! (Please ignore my nasty beach hair.)

And that was only day #1! Our second day in San Diego was dedicated almost entirely to the zoo. I was so excited for this part of the trip and had been looking forward to it for forever, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! (Except for when we were totally going to feed the giraffes but the tickets were already sold out by the time we got there...that was disappointing.)

Taking the tour on the top level of the double decker zoo bus.

These hippos were squished right up against the glass. It was pretty cool but also kind of weird looking.

See. 

Cutie Steph next to these funny little monkeys.

Having a great time!

There were tons of flamingos at that place.

Christian and an orangutan, because they are both red heads.

There were these three huge gorillas who were also squished up against the glass. They refused to turn around for me to take a decent picture.

One of our favorite parts was the aviary. There were tons of beautiful birds diving and swooping everywhere!

Riding the sky ride thing across the park.

Polar bears are huge!

Doesn't Christian make a cute seal?

Our trip to the zoo was super fun. We saw so many awesome animals and just had a great time. But wait, even after hours of walking around at the zoo, the day wasn't over! After that we headed to Balboa Park. I could have spent a whole other day there. It had amazing architecture and gorgeous flowers. Michael and I were in heaven.

I counted at least 7 brides taking wedding pictures. I don't blame them, this place is beautiful!

Michael and I enjoying the park.

Gorgeous huh?

Our weekend vacation was jammed packed, but absolutely wonderful. I got to hang out with Christian, Steph, and Michael non-stop, go inside the San Diego temple, witness a good friend get sealed to her hubby, relax at the beach, take a picture with a hippo, and enjoy the prettiest snapdragons I've ever seen. I'm ready to go back.

Kissing Jacob and getting crafty

Wow, it's been a while since I last updated. You want to know why? School. School is the monster and I am the victim. Finals are just around the corner and I've been forced to procrastinating, watching America's Next Top Model and start prepping.

Before this whole end of the semester thing really hit, I did have a chance to do some really fun things. A couple of weeks ago, I got to host a bachelorette party for one of my greatest friends, Heather Lee Miller (Flint). She is getting married next month and I am super excited for her. Anyway, we got most of The Elms gang back together for the party and it was great! We enjoyed great food, played games, embarrassed Heather, and laughed a ton.

Roommate reunion! 

Heather and I in our sexy, silk robes, lipstick, and  sweet bling.

Heather!

We played "kiss the hottie." We all chose lipsticks randomly out of a bag and then took turns trying to kiss Jacob with our eyes blindfolded. Yep, those are my lips right on his cheek. Man, I'm good.

And then last weekend Christian and I went home for General Conference. The talks were amazing and exactly what I needed to hear. I had such a great time hanging with the fam, listening to the prophet and apostles, and lounging in pajamas for three straight days. 

While Dad, Michael, and Christian were at priesthood, Mom and I decided to do a little shopping. We went to a couple of different craft stores and were very successful!

I finally made myself a spring wreath for our front door!

Some more Easter decorations :)

And as soon as I'm done blogging, we get to go home to sojo again :) Hooray for weekends!

Happy Easter everyone!

Our house

I thought I should record a little bit about our first home as a married couple. When we found this little basement apartment, it didn't look like much. It's part of an old brick house that was built back in the 40's. 

Despite this place being older than my parents, there were some major perks far better than other places we had seen. For one, the carpet had just been replaced. Number two, the kitchen was five times bigger than any other place we had looked at. Number three, the bathroom was a decent size with a cute pedestal sink. Number four, it is two blocks south of campus -- it takes me literally ten minutes to walk to my classes in the Brimhall. And finally, we could afford it :)

There are obvious downsides to living in an basement apartment that was around during WWII times -- temperature issues, bugs, not a ton of natural light, etc. Plus we have these ceiling pipes that are exposed in every single room. Oh, and we have exactly one door. Okay, we have two if you count the front door. It's basically a straight shot from the front door to the end of the apartment. You enter the living room, go straight into our bedroom, which leads to the kitchen, which leads to the bathroom.

Despite these odd quirks, we found a way to make it our own. My amazing family helped us revamp the whole place before we moved in. We painted every room, added our own stuff and were pleasantly surprised to how it turned out. 


Now we have a red and gold themed living room:

A white and green bedroom:

A yellow kitchen with blue and green accents:

And a purple and white bathroom:

Yes, our apartment is old, it's quirky, but it's ours :)

A conservative, baby hungry, bubble-dwelling girl

This post is inspired by a visit from an old friend. The purpose of this is to give a glimpse into the reasoning behind why I choose to live my life the way I do.

I'm from Utah.
I was born and raised in Utah -- South Jordan, Provo -- that's pretty much it. Some may think, "Wow Stace. You've lived in the Utah bubble your whole life." They'd be right. I have lived in a bubble my whole life -- it's the only thing I've ever known. But you know what? I'm okay with that. In fact, I'm more than okay with it. Utah, with its conservative people and highly infused Mormon culture, and I are the perfect match. I love being surrounded by people who share my values and beliefs. I love living in a place where I feel safe. I love living near my family. I love that I grew up in the only city in the world to have two LDS temples. I love that Provo, the city I now call home, will soon join South Jordan as a two temple city. I love the memories I have here. Memories, safety, family, religion. Why would I ever want to leave?

I attend Brigham Young University.
I come from a long generation of BYU Cougars. I knew the words to our fight song long before I understood what "alma mater" meant. Besides family tradition, what does BYU have to offer me? Oh I don't know...maybe a killer deal for a stellar education, a beautiful, clean campus... Campus isn't the only thing around here that is clean. We also have clean shaven men, and and overall moral standard of awesomeness. I love that we have an Honor Code to help better protect me from things I am morally opposed to. I love that I CAN mix my education with my religion. Now I know BYU isn't for everyone, but it certainly fits me perfectly.

I married young.
It's true. Christian and I were both 21 years old when we were married. Some may think, "But you're so young! You haven't experienced life yet. You're too young to make that kind of life-long commitment." To them I say, it's not a life-long commitment. When I signed up for married life, I made an eternal commitment. I know perfectly well what I got myself into. Sure marriage is tough, but it would be tough whether I married at age 21, age 35 or 56.

I want a big family.
I've wanted to be a mom longer than I've wanted anything in my life. I started making a list of baby names at the age of 10 and have been adding to my list ever since. Needless to say, Christian and I already have all our future kids' names picked out. I honestly believe that being a mother is the absolute greatest thing I could ever do with my life. Motherhood is noble calling and I can't wait to experience that.

I am a Latter-day Saint.
I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God and it was translated by the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that Thomas S. Monson is God's prophet today. I know that temples are the house of the Lord. I know that through His plan, families can be together forever. I know that I will see my loved ones again after death. I know that my Savior lived and died for me and that He lives again. I know that His atonement is real and that through Him, I can receive eternal life. I am a daughter of God. I am a Mormon.

I guess you could say I am the epitome of the stereotypical Utah, Mormon girl. I've never lived outside of Utah, I endorse Mitt Romney, I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ, I married young, my greatest ambition is to be a mother, I own a crock-pot, and hey, I'm even blonde. And you know what? I wouldn't change a thing. I'm exactly who I want to be.

The Stephanie Complex

People usually don't believe me when I tell them I have three sisters named Stephanie.

The original Stephanie, and my biological sister is 18 months older than me. When my oldest brother James married a Stephanie, we thought it was some weird coincidence. Then my other big brother Matt married a Stephanie as well. See? Three Stephanie Purcells.

Then there's me. I am the only Purcell daughter not named Stephanie. Things can get pretty confusing when we all get together, so naturally, we came up with some nicknames. I call Steph the original, Steph. James' wife we call Stephie Lynne. Matt's wife is Stephanie Cami. Even with the nicknames, things can get confusing. Needless to say, I get called "Stephanie" a lot.

It's kind of like a curse. Sometimes when I tell others about my name curse, I think they think I'm exaggerating the situation. Really, I'm not. Calling me by the wrong name has been going on since as long as I can remember. Sure it's understandable for people to confuse me with my sister. Siblings get mixed up all the time. Add two more Stephanie's to the family and well, the problem grew. 

Grandpa: "So, you breastfeeding that baby of yours?"

Me: "Grandpa, I'm Stacie. I don't have a baby."

But the crazy thing is, it's not just family members who slip up. I've had teachers, ward members, friends, roommates, acquaintances, all who have never even met my sisters, who can't remember my name.

Ward members: "That song was beautiful! You are so talented!"

Me: "Why thank you, but I think you meant to talk to my sister Steph. She's the singer."

Christian's old roommate: "Hey guys, how's it going? How are you Stephanie?"

Christian: ......*fidgeting awkwardly*

Me: "It's Stacie..."

And just this week, I was interviewing a professor for my job and about halfway through the interview, he forgot my name. "Stephanie, was it?" he asks.

Stephie Lynne, Stacie, Steph, Stephanie Cami

Case in point.

Sometimes it can be quite frustrating. But having lived with my curse for years now, I've sort of learned to laugh it off. I try to look at the bright side. At least when I get called "Stephanie" I'm being confused with one of my three beautiful, talented, awesome sisters.

My Superman

What's the point of having a blog if you can't brag about your family a little?

Isn't he cute?

WARNING: If you are sick of hearing girls go on and on and on about how great their husbands are...stop reading now.

Things I never have to do because I married Christian Carnley:

• Laundry: I don't know exactly how it happened, but Christian is the laundry guy. When there are bags of clothes to be hauled to the wash room, he does it. When the timer goes off and it's time to switch loads, he jumps into action. Folding? Yeah, that's mostly him too. 
• Reach for things: Christian is taller than me. Now that I'm married, I don't have to use a chair to get that bowl out of the top cabinet or jump around on my tippy-toes to get a box of cereal at the grocery store.
• Kill bugs: We live in a basement. In an OLD basement. So naturally we get little visitors with lots of legs every once in a while. Spiders are the worst. I can't go near them because they totally freak me out. Christian is an arachnid's worst nightmare.
• Take out the garbage: Even when Christian and I were first dating, he'd take out the garbage. We'd be at Home Base in sojo and if the garbage can needed emptying, he'd just do it, without being asked.
• Drive: For those of you who know me, it will come as no surprise that driving is one of my least favorite things. It's not that I can't drive, I just don't like to. Christian is like my personal chauffeur, and has been pretty much since high school. 
• Math: Numbers are not my forte. So anytime there is a task involving numbers (comparing prices at the grocery store, balancing money stuff, etc.) Christian thankfully steps in.
• Open doors: Chivalry is not dead when it comes to Christian. He is so quick to grab the car door, front door, or whatever it may be and hold it open for me.
• Grate cheese: I despise grating cheese. Maybe it's our grater, but I've sliced my fingers far too many times. Bloody cheese does not a good quesadilla make.
• Make the bed: I'm not the best at making my bed. Despite my parent's best efforts, it never really stuck (former roommates can attest to this). Christian on the other hand, cares more about things being neat and tidy than I do. Thus, every morning, he makes the bed while I'm straightening my hair or something.
• Set an alarm: Christian sleeps on the side of the bed nearest to our bookshelves/our charging phones. So naturally, when our alarm sounds in the early a.m. hours, he takes care of it. And on those days when I have class later than him, I still don't set my alarm. He takes a break at work and gives me a call to make sure I'm up. 
• Pack my backpack: Like almost every morning, I take longer to get ready than Christian. So while I'm in the bathroom messing with my hair, he lovingly listens to my list of what I need for the day and adds my phone, lunch, textbooks, etc. to my bag.

So you may be wondering what the heck I do around the house. Well, I cook, clean...look pretty...but then again, Christian does all that too.