Independence Day

It's been a delightful July for Nate and I.  We started it off with an exciting trip up to the northern country. We went up to Logan with my side of the family.  We had a blast at the Freedom Fire celebration up at Utah State.  Diamond Rio played a delicious treat for our ears, and my mom and I embarrassed all those who knew us by standing up and dancing to the music.  It was worth it though because the camera noticed us and we got on the big screen (and I fulfilled my lifelong dream of kissing my sweetheart on camera.  It was an EPIC kiss I must say, but the kids were all grossed out).  After a wonderful closing song by Diamond Rio, the lights went off in the stadium and we all prepared ourselves for the fireworks.  It was quite a show, and made ten times better by the fact that I was there with Nate.  Everything is better when he is around :)

We had fun in Logan staying at my Aunt Christine's house, and we even squeezed in a trip to the penny candy store (the Island Market for those of you who know Logan) and grabbed a bag of my childhood to go.  Then we were on our way up to Hailey, ID to visit my mom's other sister, Angie, and her family (it was a miracle that Nate was able to find a sub for two days of work, or else we wouldn't have been able to go).  Haily is the perfect place to go to relax (you may know this if you've ever enjoyed a trip up to the ski resort in Sun Valley), especially at my Aunt's house.  We lounged around, eating watermelon, riding for-wheelers, roasting marshmallows, and going for evening walks.  My Aunt had a couple of extra tickets to the Allison Krauss concert, so they invited Nate and I to go with them.  This concert plus the one the night before doubled the number of concerts Nate had been to, and all in one weekend.  We had a lot of fun though, and I managed to read an entire chapter of O-chem (I know, boring!) as I layed on a blanket on the grass and soaked up the beautiful music.  It was fun to be there with my aunt and uncle and my grandma. 

Kylie (my sister) and I did have a little run in with the bugs in Haily, though.  I  got one in my eye when we were for-wheeling, and she got bit by one around her eye.  My eyes were all red, but hers were SWOLLEN.  We all stifled back laughs as our little Kylie looked like an adorable little Asian (her eyes were like slits).  It was miserable for her, but we all thought she was cute and doted on her.

The next day was Sunday, and Nate and I got up early and made it to the church that was meeting an entire town away (this would've been unusual in Utah lol).  There meeting was wonderful :) We got back just in time for the family feast they had prepared for breakfast, and oh that was some breakfast.  I haven't eaten a breakfast like that since Christmas morning (my dad always whips up something tasty for Christmas breakfast).  Nate and I were blessed to eat like royalty that weekend (or at least it seemed like that to us because we usually eat like poor college students).

Later that afternoon we headed up to Idaho Falls where my dad's parents live.  I was beginning to desperately miss Idaho Falls, not having been there for a few years.  It was like a dream to be there again with family I hadn't seen in years, and the same food, smells, and rooms that I has grown up in.  It was even better to be there with Nate, who was visiting for the first time, and introduce him to all that I loved.  He fell in love with my grandparents giant trampoline, and spent hours entertaining the kids on it. 

Then came the 4th, which is probably the second best day of the entire year (after Christmas).  I learned how to make Cinnamon Rolls (my grandma is a master chef and teaches me all her tricks), which Nate was excited about because they happen to be his favorite treat.  We helped my grandma with a few other fixings for the family BBQ, and then relaxed until it was time to eat up.  And oh did I eat :) There was jello pie, jello salad, my grandma's strawberry cake, and I can't even remember what the main course was because I was too busy enjoying all my favorite desserts.  Oh, how I love good ol' Idaho.  If not for the family, then for the food :)

After the food began to settle in our tummies for a bit, we walked over to the river and picked out a spot to watch the firework show.  Idaho Falls has the best firework show in the west, or at least that's what they like to say.  I happen to agree, though.  They always have fun fireworks that I've never seen before, which is good because who wants to see the same exact fireworks every year?  This year was even better, though, and I bet you can guess why.  When I was little, the fourth was a time to be with all my cousins that I only got to see once a year, eat a lot of grandma's cooking, play till I was tired out, and then stare awestruck up at the fireworks as they lit the night sky.  This year, it was about a lot of those same things, but it was also about being able to share these memories and experiences with my best friend in the whole world.  As we watched the fireworks, Nate held me in his arms, and I couldn't help but feel eternally grateful for him.  It was a wonderful experience for me, and I hope for him too. 

The next day we packed up and headed back to Utah, but not before stopping by Reed's Dairy for some classic ice cream.  I got my usual, pink bubble gum.  Then it was back to work and back to our normal, hectic lives, but a little bit of Idaho stayed with us.  It was an Independence Day to remember. We felt so grateful for our God, our family, our country, and especially for each other :)

The rest of July has been fun.  Nate has enjoyed playing on the ward's Ultimate Frisbee team, which season just ended.  I have been called as the Sunday School teacher in our ward, which is guaranteed to be an exciting challenge for me.  I have enjoyed starting up my new nutrition blog.  I even designed my own business card for it, which I am super stoked about. 

What do you think? :)

The summer term is almost over now, and then we'll be off to Walla Walla for Shanie's wedding.  I'm so excited for her and Kyle :) Then Nate and I will be going to El Salvador for a belated honeymoon/mission reunion.  It's going to be fun to meet all of Nate's mission buddies and families that he taught.  We'll also get to be there for the temple dedication for the new El Salvador temple.  We are so excited for our brief two week holiday before we have to jump back into school in the Fall.

Overall, Nate and I have been super blessed.  Things have fallen into place for us, and the hand of the Lord has been in our lives always.  I'm realizing that the story books have it all wrong.  Fairy tales don't end when the princess and her prince fall in love and get married.  That is when they begin.  Nate and I are just at the beginning of our fairy tale, and I'm excited to see how the story plays out.  Hopefully there will be lots of ninos lol :)

-Kamie and Nate

Life is NOT a burden!

Wow, sometimes we all need a wake-up call, but me especially for the past few...maybe years lol. What is it that I so desperately needed to understand? Well, it's simple really...LIFE IS NOT A BURDEN! You would think a girl like me with piles of blessings on every side of her would have realized this by now, but apparently not. After all, it's hard to see all the blessings when you hold the two or three things that are going wrong in your life directly in front of your eyes so that they are all you can see. Step back, take a look around you, count your blessings, write them down, and you will soon see that LIFE IS WONDERFUL! This is an excellent cure! But what is the source of the problem?

For me, one of the easiest ways I fall into the trap of "burdendom" is by viewing my life through the lens called "I HAVE to be perfect." Man, no wonder I get exhausted when I try to live like this, since being perfect is impossible! Seriously, I need a new perspective. I've come to realize that our motivation for doing things is just as important as the result of our actions, if not more important. So why do I really get up every morning and do the things I do everyday? To be honest, for a majority of my life my motivation has been either because I know it is right, or because I feel like I have to. Though those aren't the most terrible reasons, I can think of much better ones.

The best reason for living my life the way I do should be because I love the Lord. I do love the Lord very much, but when I get so caught up in doing all the little things perfectly, it is easy to get discouraged and then forget about the role of the Savior in my life. I don't believe this is the way the Lord wants us to live. After all, we "are that we may have joy" (2 Nephi 2: 25). So what is a better approach? How about waking up every morning, looking in the mirror, and saying, "Today I am not going to do anything because I have to, but I will do it because I love the Lord." Then, when you come to a point when you have to make a decision, it becomes a joy rather than a burden. For example, should I continue school or drop out? Well, usually I would think that I can't quit school because I HAVE to graduate and get a degree. However, if I'm living my life the Lord's way because I love Him, I instead think that I should finish school because I know it's what the Lord wants me to do, and I have faith that He knows what is best. Then everyday in class, doing homework, or taking exams, I can think about the Lord and find joy in doing His will. Wow! I just turned a burden into an uplifting faithful experience.

Obviously this change of perspective is important because it can greatly increase our happiness in this life, and maybe even in the life to come. Another reason I think it is so important is that it will make a difference in the legacy we leave behind us. Our motivation is the mortar that holds together the bricks of the legacy we are building everyday of our lives. People watching us can tell why we do what we do. We are a much better example for others when we live our lives out of love. Others can tell when the smile on our lips is sincere, and they can tell when we are serving them because we truly love them and the Lord. Not that what others think of us is super important, but if we want to make any sort of difference that matters in this world, we have to have the right motivation. Otherwise, be leave a behind a taint that nearly ruins anything we may have accomplished, and our building of legacy may end up toppling over.

I know most of you who are reading this probably already understood everything I've written about so far, but for the few out there like me who struggle with perfectionism and "burdendom," I hope what I have discovered is helpful to you.

-Kamie and Nate

All Because He Loved Me

I must admit that I am quite silly. Though many of you probably already knew this, it came as a revelation to me today as I trudged through my difficult and crazy day. I got up entirely too early (4:30 a.m. to be exact) and went to work. I sleepily made my body perform the necessary tasks. Then, like every crazy morning, Nate and I hurriedly got ready and went to school, the same old packed lunch in hand.

Later, after class, with my head all stuffed with organic chemistry, I headed to the Provo Post Office to finish my passport application. After waiting in line for some time, my turn finally came. We were almost at the end of the application when I asked if it was okay that I hadn't changed my name on my license yet. He said that it most certainly was a problem and sent me to the DMV. I began to be very frustrated because I was trying to squeeze all of this in between classes. I had 45 minutes to finish and get back to class, or at least that was my goal. I ran over to the DMV, and began to get even more cranky as I waited in line once again. The lady working there was super friendly, and I'm afraid I wasn't as friendly back to her as I should've been. Twelve o'clock came and found me paying another fee on top of the ridiculous passport fee I still needed to pay. Updated temporary license in hand, I rushed to class, angrily glaring at all the other drivers on the road. (If you're annoyed at my negativity, please be patient, it gets better).

Changing as quickly as I could into my dance clothes, I managed to get to my contemporary dance class only ten minutes late. A brief break from the chaos, I danced my little heart out. 12:50 and again the craziness. I couldn't get a hold of Nate for our lunch date (which turned out to actually be his phone's fault), so I headed off to the Post Office with a level of grumpiness that was unusual for me. I got there to find that the guy working the passport station was on LUNCH BREAK! Oh man, I was upset. So I read my text book as I waited another 35 minutes. I finally got a hold of Nate, which made me feel slightly better. Once the guy came back, we got the passport application all finished in a mere ten minutes! All that for a ten minute application. Relieved that it was finally over, I headed back to campus for lunch with Nate.


A happy lunch and a nap later, Nate was off to work and I was off to the grocery store. I rolled the windows down in the car and tried to cope with the excruciating heat of summer. I pulled into the parking lot and in I went, thinking I would be out just as fast. But the walls of Walmart are almost like a vacuum, sucking you in and not letting you go. Once I had finally found everything I was looking for in the disorganized chaos, I got in line to check out. This line wasn't too bad, but when I was through and looked at my receipt, I noticed several things were rung up incorrectly. I went back to fix it, but the checkout lady merely sent me to customer service. I got my money back, but I left promising myself that I would never go back to Walmart.

Once I got home and managed to unload everything out of the car, I finally sat down for a second and thought about my crazy day. That's when I remembered something I had read in John Bytheway's book "How to Be Totally Miserable." He points out that miserable people are pros at complaining about their blessings. Thinking about this, I looked around my apartment. Instead of focusing on the fact that it is a little messy or that it has cinder-block walls, I saw that it has a roof, walls, a fridge, a t.v., carpet, a laptop sitting on the table, an internet connection, food in the pantry, a comfortable bed, clothes in the closet, and the list could go on and on. I realized that I was lucky to have an apartment at all!

My perspective began to change, and I saw my day completely differently. I realized that instead of complaining about waking up early, I should have been rejoicing that I have a job. In this economy, especially, that is a huge blessing. Not only that, but Nate is employed as well. And when I came home from work, I should've jumped for joy at finding a sweet husband sleeping adorably; a husband who was willing to wake up and pack my lunch for me as I got ready for school.

Speaking of school, Nate and I both have the opportunity to go to college, and not just any college, we get to attend Brigham Young University. I shouldn't have complained about the passport drama, because I am truly blessed that I even have the means to obtain one, and that I live in a country with a government that provides them. I should've been more grateful for the friendly worker at the DMV, and realized that in a lot of cities, there aren't very many friendly people at all. I should have treasured that sack lunch that I ate today, because there are many people who can't afford peanut butter and jelly to put on their bread. As for the grocery store, at least I have one close by where I can buy healthy food. There are some cities where the closest thing they have to a grocery store is a gas station, and other places where there are no stores, but instead you have to grow and pick and work for every bite of food you eat. Man, I am blessed to have a Walmart, even if it is a pain to shop there sometimes.

What about all those other moments in the day that are almost indescribable because of the joy they bring? Like waking up next to Nate every morning, or learning something new when I'm studying the scriptures. And  how about getting to talk to my mom on a cell phone when she is 40 miles away, almost as if we were standing right next to each other. Even my nerdy moments, like finally figuring out a crazy hard chemistry problem, and finding out that I didn't fail my first o-chem class can bring great joy. What about the moment when Nate lets me take a nap on his lap (being extremely exhausted from my long day) while he works on his dental school application, and listening to him periodically tell me that I'm cute or that he loves me? Or getting my new license that says Kameron A'mee Bushman on it? Oh, and coming home from the grocery store with three bags full of fruit that probably came from all over the world. Yum! Oh yeah, lets not forget AIR CONDITIONING! Man, what on earth was I complaining about again? I almost can't remember...

Once this all hit me, I fell down on me knees and said a prayer of thanks for all of my many blessings. Tears came to my eyes as I remembered my most important blessing, one that all of us have. I realized that if I had nothing else in the whole world except for this one blessing, that would be okay, and everything would work out just fine eternally. This blessing is the Atonement of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With this gift, all of us have the ability to return home to the Father and live eternally in His presence. All we have to do is to never stop fighting the adversary. If we keep fighting, doing our best everyday, we may never be perfect, but we will have given our part, and the Savior of the world can make up for the rest. Now I think, who cares if I had to endure horrible circumstances in this life? It would only last for a moment and then it would be over. Then I could live in peace for eternity, all because my elder Brother loved me enough to die for me. What a sense of hope and power that comes from this knowledge. Why on earth would I complain? I have everything, all because He loved me.

Wonderful Walla Walla

Just when I thought I was about old enough to stop believing in fairy tales, Walla Walla proved me wrong. Nate and I took a brief break from our hectic life here at school and made a trip to the Evergreen State. It was my second time visiting Walla Walla, and I was again received with a very warm welcome.

Five of us packed into a Honda Accord and made the 10 hour drive in one day. We got in around 1 a.m. Walla Walla time. The Bushman's were up waiting for us when we got there. We were all so excited to see each other that we hardly got any sleep that night. So fun!

The next day was Nick's graduation (Nate's little brother) which was the funnest graduation I've ever been to for a couple reasons. One, because it was outside with a beautiful view of trees and a stream, two, because it was short, three, because my new little brother Nick was one of the  speakers, and four, because I was with Nate. Congrats Nicko! :)

That night Nate and I stayed in a gorgeous bed and breakfast called Cameo Heights, which Nate's dad treated us to.  The room was an English Tudor style room, which to my joy and Nate's slight discomfort, was very PINK. We had a magnificent veiw from the third floor, overlooking the pool, a gorgeous vineyard, and the rolling hills of Washington. I felt like a princess staying there, which really was wonderful for me because with the wedding being crammed between semesters, I really didn't have much time to feel like a princess (every girl's dream for her wedding) on that day. But the Open House in Nate's wonderful home town of Walla Walla was my second chance.

The Bushman's insisted that we didn't help out too much with setting up the Open House, so Nate and I took advantage of their kindness and relaxed at Cameo Heights for the afternoon. We enjoyed the delicious breakfast there, went swimming, watched a movie, worked out in their exercise room, and caught up on some much needed sleep (the bed was SO comfortable). Then my parents came to have lunch with us there at the restaurant (called the Vine, which was fantastic). The owner of the bed and breakfast was super friendly and challenged us to a game of Ping Pong. Nate won of course :)

After having some much needed fun, we all headed back to Walla Walla to help with the finishing touches of the Open House. It was such a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the wind was taking a nap, and the smell of the fresh cut lawn and wild flowers filled the air. Sylvia got the perfect treats (chocolate cake for the chocolate lovers, cheesecake, and a yummy white cake with strawberry topping) and drinks (lemonade and a berry punch). They set up tables outside in the sun and topped them with all sorts of cool Walla Walla plants and flowers. It was just like my dream backyard wedding!

Six o'clock rolled around and before I knew it a stream of some of the friendliest people I have ever met came strolling in to congratulate us. I got to meet a lot of wonderful people that were important in Nate's life, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I even got to have a short break and have some treats (yes I got to have my cake and eat it too). Then, literally an answer to my prayers, a cute little girl and her mom came up to me and said they wanted to come see the princess! That was so amazing to me because, as silly as it was, it was really important for me to feel special (I normally don't like attention) on that day, and Heavenly Father cared about my silly wish. How wonderful is that! Anyways, it was a lot of fun and I hope all those that came really enjoyed it. I also hope that it was not too stressful for the Bushmans. They did a fantastic job!

Before I knew it everyone was leaving and it was time to clean up. Nate and I were exhausted after that long and exciting day, so after a short gathering with the family to open some presents, Nate and I headed back to Cameo Heights. The next morning we went to sacrament meeting and then headed back home to Utah.

Though short, our trip to Walla Walla was a ton of fun and exactly what we needed. We came home to face exams and writing talks (we spoke in sacrament meeting this week), and all sorts of craziness. Next week is finals and then summer term! Woohoo! I'm beginning to understand that life is not really ever going to slow down, so we can't wait for that to start really living. So instead we're working on learning to treasure every moment and put the most impotant things (God, family and friends) first. I realized that in 10 years I won't remember what grade I got in organic chemistry, but I will remember if we were happy and if we succeeded in building a strong, righteous family. I know I can't do it all, so it's just a matter of deciding what is most important and doing my best at those things, all the while praying that the Lord will make up for the rest.

We love you all and we love the Lord and His gospel. Wishing you all the best! Here are a few more wedding pictures :)

-Kamie and Nate

We are the Bushmans :)

Hello! Nate and I were married on April 22 in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. We thought it would be fun to start a blog to document our many adventures together. We hope it will make someone laugh, smile, or maybe even cry happy tears.

Life has been hectic this past month. I guess that's what happens when you get married on the weekend between Winter semester and Spring term. Though crazy busy, it has been tons of fun. We moved into our new apartment in Wymount on May 2. My superhero mom packed up the U haul and drove it down to help us move in. I have enjoyed dressing up our apartment with our simple means and our adorable wedding gifts, and Nate has enjoyed doing the dishes for me (He's so sweet!).

It has been an adventure attempting to be the perfect wife while going to school full time and working. There are moments when I almost succeed (very rarely, though Nate disagrees and thinks all I do is wonderful), but I realize that I have plenty of time to work up to be as amazing as my mom and my new mother-in-law. So don't get down on yourself if you're not perfect yet! There's at least one other person (me) who is still working on it too lol.

Nate has been working hard in school (he's taking a chemistry class that is 18 hours a week) and at the MTC. He's been taking good care of me too. It's been a wonderful blessing to have each other during this crazy time. It's not all sunshine and roses, but we can definitely say honestly "Dayenu," which is a Hebrew word that means "it would have been enough," or in modern English "we have more than we could've asked for." We are among the most blessed people in the world, not because we deserve it, but because the Lord has been merciful and gracious to us. We are so grateful for our many blessings.

It has been so cool to feel the love of so many people around us lately. We have needed the support during this time of transition in our lives, and there have been many angels who have lifted us up. Our families have been especially wonderful, and we thank you for all of your support. We have been welcomed with open arms into our new ward as well. I have never met so many friendly, happy people before in my life. They have invited us to be involved in activities and all sorts of fun things (they even had Nate and I teach a fitness/nutrition class at a Relief Society activity already).Our ward has truly been an answer to our prayers.  We've also been able to spend time with old friends who have stuck with us through the long haul. We are so appreciative of you guys and your friendship. We love you all! :)

I'm sure you are all curious about the wedding (or maybe not lol). It went really smoothly and was absolutely a dream come true. We are so grateful for all those who helped out and for our parents who put their sweat, blood, tears, and dollars into making it perfect. Hopefully all those that came were able to get lots of pictures at the photo booth to remember it by. We will post some of the pictures that the photographer took (her name is Janessa and she is wonderful! I recommend her to anyone) once they are all edited and we get them back. It was so much fun to see so many of our family and friends there at the wedding! We felt so loved and blessed! I hope you all did as well (we certainly love you). The best part of that long and wonderful day was the temple ceremony. As fun and pretty as all the flowers and the cake and everything else was, nothing can beat that special and eternally significant moment in the temple. Thanks to all who came to the temple (inside or out) to support us in our decision to get married for eternity. We love you! Also a special thanks to Buddy and Scott for letting us stay at their cabin for our honeymoon.

Well, that pretty much sums up this past month of marital chaos and bliss! Nate's birthday is tomorrow, so we have a few adventures planned for that. I remember I fell in love with him last year on his birthday (can you believe it's been a year!?), so hopefully this year will be just as special.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day and be safe!

XOXO

-Kamie and Nate