Summer

I am really bad at this blogging thing. There is way too much to catch up on, so I thought I would just post a few pictures from our summer instead!

First off we graduated in April! I couldn't have done it without the support of my parents and Alvin

Trying to get a picture with the Y in the background

The whole Green Family...minus Garrison and Avalon

Alvin turned 25 while we were up in Edmonton visiting Richard and Leslie and the kiddos!

Alvin finally got what he always wanted...an oilers shirt! 

While we were in Edmonton I got to see my friend Becky! We have been best friends since grade 1. It was fun to catch up with her. 

Alvin was so good with the babies 

Cute Thomas, Mason, and Luke

Avalon came and stayed with us one weekend...so we climbed the Y!

We love Avalon and wish she would come stay more often! 

Here is our team at the beginning of the Ragnar in June....a relay race we had been training for since February. Two days before the race I broke my toe and couldn't run :(. They let me tag along as the designated driver, though!

Alvin and his friend Preston at the end

We took a day trip to Manti to go to the temple. Alvin's grandparents lived in Ephraim while his grandpa was Dean of Students at Snow College, and they worked in the Manti temple. It was so cute to see how excited they were to be back. 

Alvin on his first day of school for his Masters program in Public Health! He now goes by Master Alvin. 

It was a great summer but it definitely went by too fast. We had a fun Green family vacation in Moab with Alvin's family, and unfortunately didn't make it up to Canada or Echo Lake to see mine. Now Alvin is into full school mode and I am just starting to get comfortable at my new job at Timpanogos Hospital. Life is great and we feel so blessed!

Happy Easter!

I LOVE Easter...and it's not because it is an acceptable time of year to eat copious amounts of chocolate like you are probably all thinking. Rather, it is because of my Savior, and the special spirit that I feel whenever I read John 20. The past 2 Easters, though, have been particularly meaningful for me. I can't think of Easter or read the account of the resurrection now without thinking about my time in Jerusalem. So I thought I would honor this Easter with a few pictures that literally make my heart hurt because I want to go back so bad.

The Garden of Gethsemene

Matthew 28:5-6

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, whcih was crucified.

6 He is not here: for he is risen

John 20: 15-16

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 

  
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 

I know that my Savior lives, and I am so grateful that because he rose again, one day I will to. Happy Easter! 

Moab

For the long weekend we had been planning for a while to go to Moab....and the time finally came! Alvin's grandparents live there so we were able to stay with them and visit as well as explore a bit of Moab. It was great fun and we wish we could have stayed longer, but hopefully we get to go back sometime soon! Here are a few pictures from the trip. 

First picture on our jeeping adventure. Right over that ledge behind us you can see the Morning Glory Arch from the top...super cool!

Dinosaur in the Rock

Alvin's grandparents are way into jeeping and rock crawling...so they took us out on an adventure. Thankfully they went on a fairly easy trail. It was scary enough as it was, though, so I'm not sure I could have handled much more. Alvin's grandma drove Alvin and I  in one jeep and his grandpa drove a different jeep with Alvin's other cousins. I only wish I could be as cool as Alvin's grandma...driving jeeps like a boss in her old age!

Alvin on a bridge at the Matheson Wetlands Preserve...where we went to try and spot some sweet birds :). 

This is me trying to be a good birder like Alvin...

I think Alvin was getting tired of me taking pictures of him...so he started to pull out his sweet model poses. This was on a hike up a river near Alvin's grandparents house. 

So handsome...and the scenery is pretty good too!

Do you see that grasp he has on those binoculars? It paid off because we identified 15 different species of birds while we were there 

 I forgot my makeup at home...so I was definitely looking my best all weekend :)

I like this picture because we were able to get both of us in it without even trying...see my shadow down at the bottom?

Another studly pose

Also here is a fun fact from the trip. Alvin's grandparents found a really good sale on Double Stuff oreos at the local grocery store, ($2.29 a bag!) so let's just say that we ate more oreos than we probably should have. I think I probably ate over 40 oreos while we were there. Good thing we did all that hiking to work it off! 

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Parson for letting us come crash your weekend! We had a blast!

My Valentine

I thought it only fitting that on February 14th I share 14 things that I love about my Valentine :). And not to make anyone feel bad...but I think I have the best Valentine in the world. So Alvin here is to you!

1. I love how you honest to goodness are just one of those people that have such a good heart. You genuinely love and care for everyone, and are always looking for the good in people. My dad always told me to find someone with a good heart...and I think I nailed it. 

2. I love your laugh...especially the really loud one that comes out of no where and scrunches up your face. When I first heard it in Jerusalem I had to laugh just because your laugh was so awesome

3. I love your smirk. You try so hard not to smile sometimes...but you are just such a happy person that you can't help but smile. Hence the smirk. 

4. I love your patience. 

5. I love your thoughtfulness and willingness to help out. You always seem to know when there is a need and do your best to fill it. 

6. I love your dedication to the church and the gospel. You are such an example to me of what living the gospel really looks like. 

7. I love that you have pants that you have named your adventure pants...and only wear them when you go adventuring.

Jerusalem Adventures

Bird Adventures

 8. I also love that you are confident enough in yourself as a man to wear girl pants...
please don't be angry with me for posting these :p

Those are definitely my pants...

as are these

9. I love how you accept my love for all things sugar and chocolate 

10. I love how you love to learn. Sometimes I worry that one day we won't be able to even hold intelligent conversations anymore. You learn new things at a rate that I can't imagine ever being able to keep up. 

11. I love how you love kids, and how kids love you. Sadly the majority of our friends now are probably under the age of 12 because kids just love hanging out with you. You are going to be an amazing father one day. 

12. I love how you watch the Love Comes Softly movies with me and are kind enough to pretend that you like them. 

13. I love how motivated you are in life

14. I love that I get to be with you for ETERNITY. I honestly cannot think of anyone I would rather be stuck with for that long. So thank you for making me the luckiest and most blessed girl in the history of girls :). I love you. Happy Valentines Day!! 

On a side note...

If anyone is wondering what to get me for my birthday in 2 days...this will suffice :) 

Welcome to our Blog!

We have finally joined the world of blogging! The time has come--as in that time when you get married and start a blog for your family who lives far away (and those that live close too) so that they know what is going on in your life.

So, just a little about us. Alvin and Karen (or Kalvin people like to say) met on a study abroad at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies during the spring/summer semester of 2012. 

The BYU Jerusalem Center - where it all began

Us at the Car Museum somewhere in Jordan

Alvin wearing Karen's jeans in Jerusalem

Us on the balcony of the Jerusalem Center overlooking the Old City

It was not love at first sight, but the friendship grew and grew until Alvin proposed on December 15, 2012, and Karen said YES. We were married in the Cardston, Alberta Temple on June 8, 2013 and have been loving life ever since. We are both currently studying at Brigham Young University (Alvin is studying Molecular Biology and Karen is studying Nursing) and are excited to graduate in April. 

Alvin loves to go birding (and Karen loves to be with Alvin so I guess she likes birding too) and Karen likes anything with sugar in it. 

Alvin birding

Mmm...sugar

And that is basically us in a nutshell! Stay tuned for more exciting posts to come :).