And 2 days before Christmas...

I went sledding down a hill with my nieces and broke 3 bones in my left hand. Here's my lovely splint...

My unhappy look

My trying to be optimistic look

My I'm glad Kathryn came to visit me and sympathize look

Here's to 2.5 months of recuperation and healing. This was not what I had in store for my Christmas vacation. But it could've been worse!

Cue the music: "Simply having a wonderful Christmas time..."

There's something about the magical Christmas season...

We enjoyed making our list of must-do Christmas events. Here are just a few of them:

Temple Square lights...obviously!

The tree of life in Draper. Beautiful!

Brad enjoyed creating Star Wars snowflakes while I baked some Christmas cookies. 

More Temple Square lights...this time there was snow!

Beautiful!

We went to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert. It was amazing!

However, it took us FOREVER to get to Salt Lake that night and Brad was not a happy camper

We made this lovely Gingerbread house...the day before I broke my hand :(

We dressed up for the annual Baer family nativity. Broken hand pictured.

I love the Christmas season and am so grateful for the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know he lives!

One semester down!

PEOPLE!!!!! I survived one semester of graduate school. It has been quite the accomplishment. And I got straight A's. To say that I am proud of myself is an understatement. I can do hard things! 5 more semesters to go!

California dreamin'

Both of us had been to southern California before but neither of us have ever done much outside of Disneyland. On the third day of our trip, we headed to some sites such as the Hollywood sign, the LA temple, Rodeo Drive (not pictured), the Chinese theater (not pictured), and Highway 1. We drove along Highway 1 for several hours, taking in the picturesque coast and then stopped at the Santa Monica pier to walk around and eat. What a beautiful day!

LA skyline

The Hollywood sign 

LA LDS temple

Hello LA temple!

Santa Monica Pier

I love this guy!

Sorry...another kissing picture :)

The pier again

Beautiful beach and scenery

It was a gorgeous setting! Glad I got to spend it with this dude! He makes every adventure a lot of fun!

The happiest place on earth

We made it to Disneyland!

I enjoyed going to Disneyland with my best friend. Here are just a few highlights:

Space Mountain is always a favorite

Yep, we had to get a kissing picture in front of the castle. It was the romantic in me that made it happen.

Hanging out with my sister Chrissie and her kids after getting soaked on the Great Grizzly Run ride at California Adventure

We shared a Monte Cristo at Cafe Orleans. So good but wow the sugar!

Yes, sourdough bowl and clam chowder. It made me miss California!

On the Jungle Cruise ride

How could I not include a jumping picture in all of this?

Fantasmic was a hit! So amazing.

We enjoyed seeing a lot of pumpkin decor around Disneyland before Halloween.

It was a grand time! Here are a few random thoughts about Disneyland in general:

1. Wow it's crowded!

2. How do people with children not get absolutely exhausted? Us single people needed a vacation after this one!

3. We should never go during Fall Break again. It's worth it to go when there are less crowds

4. I don't want to go on my Honeymoon there

5. Matterhorn single riders saved us an hour of time

6. Haunted Mansion Halloween style is pretty cool

7. The Cars ride was a 90 minute wait! Holy cow!

8. We got stuck in Small World for 15 minutes

9. California Screamin is well worth the adrenaline rush

10. Thank goodness for the Aladdin show. We were so tired--it was a much needed break!

See you in 5 years or more Disneyland!

Time for General Conference!

2 years in a row I got to attend LDS general conference with my Canadian convert, Phil. He and his wife were in town and we got to see them again! It's just one of many benefits of serving your mission in North America.

Here we are. It was great to chat with them and hear their Canadianisms and to see Phil so engaged with the Gospel. He is my miracle story from my LDS mission and he is always so quick to tell me how much he loved me as a missionary. It's always very validating.

And here's one with the man. He was so great to come with me and hear me rehash my mission stories again. 

General Conference itself was fantastic. Go to lds.org to learn more. This event--being at conference with Phil--was just another reminder of why I'm glad I served an LDS mission. Phil, you were worth it! 

31 here I come!

It was my birthday! Hard to believe I am 31 years old, but it's true. Luckily I spent my birthday with my special friend and it was all good.

So...Park city is beautiful! It's hard to believe that this place exists just less than hour from where I live. We first ventured down the Alpine Slides. It's a pricy, but you gotta do it at least once in your lifetime (or more like me)

We are almost off

Right behind him

Then we decided to go on a chair lift to the top of a mountain. And thus we see beautiful fall colors!

A sunny day!

On the chair lift. Ignore my awkward selfie arm

At the top of the mountain

And on our way back down

It was a beautiful birthday and he made it so special! Utah, you just keep growing on me!

And so it begins

I finally started Grad School, everyone! This is a big deal for me. Let me tell you a story. About 7 years ago, while completing my last official semester at BYU (before student teaching in DC), I had an epiphany that I would be really good at teaching teachers. At that time, this concept was new to me as I had never known someone in that profession. But I later learned that instructional coaching was a thing. It has always stayed in my mind ever since. When I started teaching full time in DC, grad school was far from my mind as teaching took up so much of my energy. However as I got more years under my belt, the grad school idea gradually came back to me. About three years ago I started looking into programs. Two years ago I started thinking about applying and six months later I was officially accepted. It just took me a while to get residency in Utah. 

So here I am, attending the University of Utah, as one of the biggest BYU fans ever. It's hilarious. I will be getting my degree in Teacher Instruction and Educational Leadership. I go to school Tuesday nights and will have homework to get done throughout the week. Pray for me!

If there's anything that I have been reminded about in this long process is the same mantra that has carried me throughout the last decade of my life which is: I CAN DO HARD THINGS!

So it's not necessarily a dream come true to be at this point but it is a testimonial that God is directing my life. He kept bringing this thought to my mind time and again and I just couldn't avoid it any longer. I feel very directed in doing this program and know that for whatever reason, it will serve me well in my professional and personal future. So yes, I'm teaching and I'm in school full time. I can do this. I can do hard things. 

Here I am at one of my buildings that I go to class in at the U--of all places. 

70 years and counting...

Happy Birthday to my mom!! She is now 70 years old which is getting old :). I'm so grateful for my mom and all the support she has offered me over my last 30 years of life. Not only is she one of the nicest people I know, she is incredibly service oriented, faith filled, loving, understanding, patient, and good. Thanks mom for everything! Here's to the next 20 years! :)

With all the grandkids in Utah...

Some kids are happier than others.

My mom's laugh. This is classic

Her sweet smile too

Yep she did it, she blew out her own candles.

Happy Birthday mother! I'm so grateful for you!

Adam is married. Whoa.

My nephew Adam got married a few weeks ago to his sweet bride, MaKayla. It's hard to believe that he is a grown up AND he's married, but time does pass quickly. I am happy for both of them. 

Cute couple

He got married in the St. George LDS temple. It was a hot day. My guy came with me to support. 

Cute couple part deux

Good thing we have a selfie stick! :)

Not pictured: my sweat. Thankfully...

Outside the temple with my brother, John. I wore my coolest dress and I am still sweating. 

Love these men

Adam with all of his cousins on the Baer side that love and adore him. 

Cute nieces and nephews. What a fun day!