Our Home Away From Home

I thought I would let you all take a look at where we are living for the next year since a lot of you won't be able to see it in person. I also feel like this is our home now and it took me awhile to adjust to it and want to call it "home", but it's finally worthy to appear on the blog now :). I also wanted to keep a little record of our second "place". So, come on in!  

 

This is the view of the apartment when you first walk in.

 

This is the view from the kitchen table looking into the living room. It's actually a bigger space than it looks in the picture.

The place where all the cooking happens. Now, don't go falling in love with our cabinets and appliances I know they look brand new.... 

Our HUGE kitchen table, or should I say, card table.... this is where dinner takes place and right above the table is an old ceiling fan that has lights that you can switch back and forth to create little or more lighting. Yes, it can get very romantic under those lights! No, not really, I'm just teasin :)  

 

The lovely bathroom. And the mirror on the door is only because I am too short to look into the one above the sink. Seriously, who builds a mirror that high?

Our bedroom. This picture is actually only half the bedroom on the left there is a ton of space! It is one of the biggest rooms I have seen in an aparment. Our bedroom is my least favorite part of the apartment actually because one: It looks blah, but we aren't in there enough for it to be worth getting anything to decorate and two: our closet still smells like a cat lives there. If any of you know how to get rid of this "ghost cat" smell that still happens to be lurking in places it's not welcome, let me know!

 

I really enjoy the location of our apartment I feel very safe where we are and we are close to so many things. We have a lot of restaurants that are within 15-20 minutes of us. We also have good grocery stores that we can run/walk to if we need. And we have a train station that is literally in the back yard of our apartment complex. Who can complain with all of that right?! We are doing good and I am finally getting use to things around here so thats definitely a plus. I hope you enjoyed the small tour of the apartment. More updates to come!

Hello Pennsylvania....

Have you ever thought about driving from Idaho to Pennsylvania in two days? Well if you haven't, I'm here to tell you that it is a long, beautiful, unforgettable, exhausting ride. My parents were seriously troopers I honestly don't think I would have been able to do it after I had been riding in a plane for 12 hours previous. My mom works with a company that allows them to go to other countries for conventions and she was invited to go to Japan and China. The cool thing was that my dad was able to go too! The only bad thing is, is that they would have to drive clear across the country with me as soon as they got off the plane. I suggested that we go another time, but they insisted on going at this time so I wasn't going to fight them on it! I had been away from Cody for two long weeks so I was ready to go if they were up to it.

 On Thursday morning I drove to Salt Lake to pick them up at the air port and from there we made our 32 hour trek across the country. All of us had a blast! We were laughing about how ridiculous we looked in the car. The car was loaded to the brim you couldn't even see out the other side in the back seat and there was only a small space on the other side for one body. We felt like we were hoarders and that people probably thought we were living out of our car with all the house things inside! If we weren't laughing we were sleeping because we all took turns driving at least four hours, or more, at one time. I drove through all of Wyoming, (not going to lie, that state was a little boring) Illinois, and 3/4 of the way through Indiania. Every state after Iowa started to look the same to me. I don't know if I was just tapped out at that point and ready to get there or if it really was looking the same. They all had tons of corn fields and farms. It was very pretty though!

We really didn't plan to go all the way through, but once we were driving we were all able to drive so we did and then we just got to a point where we just wanted to get there so we just had to keep driving! So, we arrived in Pennsylvania early Saturday morning at 4:30. I am so glad we ended up getting there as early as we did so that my parents could stay with us for a couple days before they had to head out.

When we first arrived I will admit I was a little depressed. I had no idea what was going on, where I was even at, and when I first walked into our apartment it seriously smelt like a cat had been living there for days. Yuck. If any of you know me well I am not a cat-lover so this had filled my cup to the top and I was done. I cried that first night because I couldn't possibly stay inside this apartment with the smell and nothing to hang on the walls. As I was putting some things away I kept wishing it was Christmas already so we could just go home. I think my mom knew I was depressed because she took me shopping the next few days to get things for the apartment and make it smell good. I am so thankful for that because now I actually want to be at our apartment. And don't worry I got kitty out of the apartment by cloroxing everything and putting pet odor in the carpet and I am happy to say that the kitty smell is practically gone!

It was hard to watch my parents go... I had never felt more alone in my life when they first left. They have been such a big help to us and I can't thank them enough for all the things they did for us this past year and the time they were with us. Cody and I both cried like babies when we said goodbye, but knew we would see everyone at Christmas in a few months so that helped us out a ton.

I can honestly say that every day gets better. I am finally comfortable driving around. I only know how to get to a few places without the GPS, but I will get to know more places eventually. We have learned a couple things about living here and this is what we've learned....

-The driving is ridiculous over here. You have to be fast about things or you will hear about it.

-They honk at EVERYTHING it drives me crazy. We haven't been honked at yet, but we've watched and heard other people get honked at.

-Everyone drives like they are in a NASCAR race.

-The roads are so weird.... they don't have streets that just go straight it feels like you always have to make this slight little turn on one street to get onto another one (if that makes any sense at all) and the GPS doesn't read that until you've missed your small turn off. I don't blame the GPS this state is hard to drive in!

-When you want to drive somewhere thats three miles away you better plan for a 15 minute drive. We are slowly learning that one.

-You just don't drive down to Philadelphia for the fun of it. You take a train practically everywhere you go.

- You don't go to Philadelphia at night.

- All the shops and shopping areas in Philadelphia close at 5 or 7 o'clock everyday because of crime.

-We hear tons of city noises. That is something I'm trying to get use to.

-There is a siren that goes off because we live close to the Abington Hospital and it sounds like a tornado siren. That freaked me out at first!

-Shopping is the same as it is in Idaho not really that huge of a selection. Maybe because of the area we are in; who knows.

-Instead of mice they have tons of bugs and there is a bug that is a cicada, or similar to one, (so we've been told) that live seriously in every tree around our apartment that rub their little legs together and make this really loud sound. It's actually kind of peaceful at night

-The weather here is insane. SO humid. I feel sticky almost all the time and I don't like it....

-When it rains it doesn't stop. It doesn't get sunny after it rains it pretty much rains all day and it comes down hard. This makes the humidity ten times worse....

-All the towns here run together so we are in Abington but then all the sudden we will be in Jenkintown, Elkins Park, Wyncote, Fort Washington, or Glenside with in a few seconds. It's weird I'm still trying to get use to that.

-The houses are all the same here. They look like colonial houses. Kinda old, but very cute. And all the houses are so close together you don't really have much privacy it feels like.

-We are definitely the minority here

-Our ward feels like a Rexburg ward. Tons of young couples with kids and they are all going to the same school!

-About half the ward is from the west. I would say a good chunk of them are from the Idaho, Utah, Colorado area so that is comforting. They all want to come back home too!

-The Relief Society President is from Shelley.... I about cried when I found that out I was so happy!

-You have to be careful what drinking fountain you drink from because the water is so disgusting... Everyone carries around water bottles and I mean everyone.

-The water in our apartment is so hot you can make hot chocolate instantly.

That is just a few things we have learned so far, but I'm sure we will find more!

Oh and one last thing before I end this insanely long post. I got a Nanny Job with an awesome family in the Wyncote area! I am so excited to work with them this next year. I met with them yesterday and I feel like I already know them. I will be nannying a two year old little girl named Addie and a three month old little boy named AJ. They are both so so cute and easy going. I start the 17th of September and couldn't be more excited! What's even better is they live less than a mile away from Cody's school so it's about a five minute drive and they live about three miles from our apartment so it's about a 10 minute drive. I got lucky!

We love the experience so far, but definitely want to go back "home" :) there's just something about Idaho that we love and want to make our home there! Thanks for reading this long post we will continue to keep you updated!

Goodbye Idaho.....

 I honestly thought I wouldn't have to type this post up so soon; let alone ever. It just seemed like yesterday when Cody called to tell me he got accepted into the PA program at Salus University. I can still remember I was so happy because he had worked so hard to get where he is at and he did it. He made it to the start of one of his goals-working with doctors. I also remember crying because I knew what was ahead. I knew that we would be moving far away for a year to an unknown place when I have never done something like that. The farthest I have been away from home is Rexburg, people! This is one huge move for a small town girl like me.

As it is time to move I am starting to have those feelings again. I am so happy for Cody to finally start what he has been dreaming about and all the things we have to look forward to. I know this is going to be one of the greatest years of our lives, but I'm scared. I'm scared of the unknown, I am scared of some of the things I am going to have to do alone, I am scared of missing out on some good times with all of our family members, and most of all, I'm scared I wont get to spend time with Cody as much as I want to. I feel like all of this worry has taken a toll on me.

I am also feel emotionally and physically drained. We have said goodbye to so many people I have almost lost count and I still have a lot of more goodbyes to say. I have watched Cody say goodbye to everyone and now I have to wait for my own. I also feel like we have so much stuff to pack into one small space that will have to last us for an entire year. I hope I can fit it all in the trunk of the car.... 

I am sounding like such a Debby Downer so I am going to change to the plus side of things. One thing that is for sure is that we both know, without a doubt, this is where we are suppose to be. We both have felt that Abington, Pennsylvania is where our Heavenly Father wants us, at this time, to learn and grow in ways we couldn't if we stayed back in Idaho. We know that this isn't a life move and that we will only be there for one short year. That is one full year of places that we can go see and do and have experiences that we will never have again. This is where we will grow as a couple and learn how to depend on one another and no one else. We won't be able to run home to anyone we have eachother to run to instead. 

We have been so blessed with so many great people in our lives and for all they do for us. I honestly don't know what we would do without our parents. They are so supportive and truly care for us and want the best for us. They have been our rocks and the first people we turn to when we need help. Each and every one of our siblings and their spouses have been another huge blessing. They have taught us in ways they will never know and we are so grateful they are so supportive to us and want us to succeed in everything we do. We have some pretty great friends too that make it hard for us to have to find some just as good as them in Pennsylvania.

We have been lucky to have already met some great people that have helped us out so much! I don't know what we would do without the Parkinsons and all their help. They have been telling us the in's and out's of everything and couldn't be more grateful for that. That is the couple that is letting us take their apartment after they leave so we are glad it was in good hands!

Even though I may not sound so excited to move I truly am excited! I am excited to grow as a person and to experience that side of the country. I know it's going to be way different, but I know I can handle it. I know that we wouldn't be going there if it wasn't meant to be. I am excited to meet new people and make new friends. Right now this seems hard and I don't want to do it, but I wouldn't have it any other way! I am so blessed to have someone like Cody to share this experience with.

So, as for now, Goodbye Idaho we will be back at Christmas!

Summer

So I know that summer is not officially over, but I decided to blog anyway to make sure I got it in since I probably won't write for a little bit. We have really been enjoying our summer this year since we are moving! Here's a little bit of what we've been up to...

We went boating many times this year and had an absolute blast! I wish I got some pictures, but unfortunately, I am bad at taking pictures ( I blame my mom for that one :) ) and every time we went I forgot to do it. But, besides the pictures, we really enjoyed the time we had on the boat and all the funny things that happened while tubing. The result from being out in the sun all day left all of us with backs like this....

We did a lot of s'mores in my parents backyard fire pit.

We played a ton with all these cute faces!

Little Logan

 

Breckin

Hayden and Payson

 

Cody and Tyson

Cade and Hayden

 

Jace

Katelyn, Kylie, and Mason

Cody did a lot of this since he won't be able to do it for a whole year.

We did some craft nights with both the Sargent girls and the Fowler girls and had a ton of fun! (My sisters, mom, and I all put some grapes in our upper lip and then later we taped our noses up. We all almost peed our pants laughing so hard!)

Cody and I have been staying up a little too late watching movies and playing games, but I don't feel bad since I know our life is going to change here in the next couple weeks.

We've also gone on a lot of bike rides

Had way too much fun playin frisbee golf with Mom and Dad Fowler, Jared and Chelsea, Trent and Lindsey!

And we may, or may not, of had our fair share of Orange Leaf! 


I love summer so much and feel that it is such a fun time of year. I can't think of a better way to spend the summer. We had a great one with some really amazing people in our lives. But, as much as I love summer, I am ready for a change and can't wait for fall to come! We are happy, healthy, and can't wait for what our future as in store for us. Thanks for stopping in! :)

Update!

I figured I better update the blog since it was in January the last time I did it and a lot has happened since then, but ill just share the big stuff! Starting in January Cody and I both started school; only this time I wasn't going to be attending BYU-I. It was kind of a bitter sweet thing since that school has taught me so much and allowed me to feel the spirit in ways I knew I couldn't anywhere else, but I ended up attending another great school here in Idaho Falls, Austin Kade Academy. No, I didn't go to  hair school because if I did I would fail considering there is a lot of pressure putting someone else's hair in my hands! I decided to go into the Esthetician program they had offered there. For those of you who aren't familiar with what an Esthetician is don't worry because I wasn't either. An Esthetician works mainly with the skin. Such as, facials, waxing, microdermabrasiosn, chemical peels, eyelash and eyebrow tinting, and spray tans. Anything that deals with the epidermis ( outer layer of the skin) they do! I can say that I had an absolute blast and wish I was still going there. I met a lot of great people there and I had awesome instructors. I learned so many great things, not only skin, but ways to take care of my health and body and it really made me think twice about what I am doing with it and what I can do to be better. I gained a ton of confidence in areas I struggled and can say I am so much better now. I also gained a ton of experience trying new things and meeting new people everyday and I loved it!

I recently took my state boards tests and that was a huge success! I am now an official Esthetician and currently waiting for my license to arrive. I don't have a job yet and I probably won't be working until we move to Pennsylvania, but will hopefully find something out there.
Cody is currently going through his last semester with BYU-I which is so crazy! This means we are so close to moving and he will be that much closer to being a PA. He is staying super busy and getting good grades. I couldn't be more proud of him and all the hard work he has done. We recently had a meeting with the director of Salus and I was a little intimidated at first. Everything seemed so intense and the whole time I felt like I was going to have to be a widow for a year, but after the meeting we talked to the director and he seemed like a nice guy. We are excited for this next chapter in our lives and can't wait to see how everything goes!

Cody also had a birthday this past month and he turned the big 2-3! He's getting so old..... :) I had a plan to make him golf cupcakes like a picture that I had saved off of Pinterest, but failed miserably and there was no way I was going to take a picture of that hot mess, so ill let you guys do the imagining on that one.


We have had a great couple months and are so glad that it's summer and have a lot of things planned. Thanks for checking in with the Fowler family! :)

Mexico!

 This past December my parents took my siblings and our spouses to the wonderful land of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. We had a so much fun and the weather was perfect! It was mid to high 80's the entire week. Here's some pictures to show our fun in the sun.  

 

This was our view from the balcony. So pretty!

 

        Where we spent a good majority of our time.

 The beach that went on forever! Not going to lie, the water was disgusting. It looked like canal water so we didn't swim in it too much.

We saw so many of these people and we probably ran into 15-20 of them a day. Ya that was annoying....

  Cody enjoyed riding down the alligator slide. I wasn't too impressed since it kind of ruined my swim suit. :(

            The resort we stayed at was called Paradise Village and this was the half of the pool area.

The first day we got to swim with dolphins. I finally got to check that off my bucket list!

 

We got to hold these friendly little guys. They are a lot heavier than you think!

 

The trip was so much fun and I would definitely go again. Thanks mom and dad you guys are the best and we appreciate all you do for us!!

Our Next Chapter

On Friday morning Cody got an email from Salus University in Pennsylvania and he GOT ACCEPTED! We will be making our move to Pennsylvania the end of July and couldn't be more excited. How this will all happen in a nutshell: He will start school the beginning of August and he will do one full year of book work there. Once he is done with that we will come back to the Idaho Falls area where he will do his rotations for another year and where ever he gets hired on thats where we will end up.
This has been an answer to our prayers and we both know that this is where we need to go and what we need to be doing in our lives.Yes, we are going to be clear across the country, but we are going to love every minute we are there. We have so much to see and so many places to go, but more importantly this is an adventure we will never forget! I am so proud of Cody and I know he works so hard with everything he sets his mind to.