A Folk Singing Band from Salt Lake City

The bags have been packed, loaded, hauled, unloaded, and unpacked. We have officially made the move to Salt Lake City. I never thought it would actually happen to be honest with you all. I have started a new job with Stevens-Henager College and Josh will be starting school at University of Utah in a few short weeks. This is a big change for us. It’s a new town and that means a new, and better, apartment.

It took us two days to get all of our stuff situated and out of boxes, but now our pictures are on the wall and it is starting to feel like home. I still wake up in the middle of the night unable to find the bathroom—stubbing my toes along the way-- but I’ll get there… eventually. We’re sad to leave Cedar, but excited for the new opportunities ahead of us.

Christmas this year will just be the two of us, starting a new job is stressful around the holidays and we’re really going to miss our families a ton this year, but I guess that means it is time to make some new traditions. We didn’t get a lot of alone time this last semester. Josh had a ton on his plate with his classes and I was in a job that was miserable. I’m glad things are looking up for the both of us.

This New Year has so much in store for us. We have made it through a lot of ups and downs, but time has flown by, and I’m excited to see what will come of it. I can’t believe another year has come and gone. I look back and really don’t know where the time has gone. I’m grateful for all the experiences we have had and I look forward to more in the future.

Reality hit home on Friday when Josh’s little sister got in a really bad car accident. Luckily no one was badly hurt, but it really made me think about the little things in life. We have to make time for family and friends because they may not be here tomorrow. Enjoy the little things in life they pass by all too quickly.

Happy Holidays!

 

22 Days of Thankfulness (30 was too long)

Day 1: (late, oops...) I'm thankful for my husband. We have made it through one whole year and I can't wait to see what else is in store for us. Ups, downs, and in-betweens we are so much stronger today than we were yesterday, and we will c

continue to grow together each and every day. I am so grateful to have someone to have someone to talk to, laugh with, and make memories. Thank you for always being there to listen when I need an ear, be there when I need a shoulder to cry on, and for always having a hand to hold. I love you more than you know.

Day 2: (On time) I'm thankful for my dad who taught me to be honest and to believe in something. We've been apart for 8 years and not a day goes by where I don't think of you. I know your spirit lives on in me and as much as I look like my mom I am reminded everyday just how much like you I really am. I have your honesty, your will power, your temper, and you perseverance. Thank you for teaching me so much in such a short time. I am still learning, but you will always be such a big influence. I love you!

Day 3: (early) I'm thankful for my sister for being someone I could always look up to. We are 7 1/2 years apart and when we were younger that was difficult, but I couldn't feel closer to you now. You are truly my best friend and I look up to you in so many ways. You are a great mother and you have 2 beautiful children. You are the strongest and most caring person I know. I love your attitude about life and your silly personality. Thanks for not being a pirate. Ninja's for life!

Day 4: (late... again) I am thankful for my best friend Madison Smith, who has taught me so much over the last 3 years. Who would have thought that we would have come this far. Thanks for being the girl with cute jeans in Intro to Theory. I am so grateful that I found that add on T-bay 2 years ago, and even though we aren't roomies anymore I couldn't imagine not having you in my life. You are so kind and generous and you bring so much joy into my life. Don't ever change!

Day 5: (On time) I am thankful for my best friend, and sister, Haley Bowen. You have been my sanity. Thank you for always listening to me rant and rave. I know at times your probably wanted to kill me, but you were always there no matter what. You didn't judge you didn't complain and you didn't give advice. I love you with my whole heart. I know we aren't just a phone call and a diet coke away, but in less than 2 months we will be reunited. It is so great to know no matter how many hours or countries away you are you are always there and nothing changes. I love you AOE!

Day 6: (On time) I am thankful for these two little ones who keep me going every day. I know that I don't see them near enough, but I think about them every day. I am so thankful how innocent they are and I hope they never grow up. It seems like they get so much bigger every time I see them. Liam has so much personality for a five year old and Audrey is so precious even though she is a diva. I couldn't imagine my life without them and I can't wait to have more little ones in my life someday.

Day 7: (On time) Today, I am thankful to live in a free country. I don't care that my candidate lost, or that everyone is putting up over dramatic posts by people on Facebook. I'm happy that I live in a country where we aren't told who our monarch, prime minister, president or dictator is going to be. No matter who would have won yesterday people would have been upset so I chose to get over it. I'm

glad that I have been taught that America is for the people and that we live in one of the best countries in the world. I'm grateful that I don't have to cover my entire body because I'm a woman. I'm happy that I can keep and bear arms if I want to. I'm happy my husband can live here even though he is not from America. #AMERRRICA! Remember not everyone in the world gets a voice.

Day 8: I am thankful for my education. I'm thankful for the wonderful teachers who supported me every step of the way and the teachers who have corrected my grammar and punctuation. The teachers who made me work harder because they knew I was capable. I'm even thankful for the ones who made me read bad books and who would make my papers a mess of typing and red pen. Because of you I am a better writer and a better person. Thank you for taking time with me and teaching me the fundamentals. Your efforts didn't go unnoticed :)

Day 9: I am thankful for my health. I see people everyday who struggle with issues everyday and I am so happy that the few times I have been sick that I have always gotten over it in a timely manner and that nothing has ever been a serious issue. I know I may not be able to say this forever, but today I am healthy and strong. I have the ability to walk, run, swim and breath, and for that I am grateful

Day 10: (early) I'm thankful for another one of my best friends Lauren. I've know her since I moved to Cedar and let me tell you we have been through a lot together. I love her more than anything in this world. I hate that she is so far away. She has been there for me through so many tough times and I wouldn't have made it through them without her. She makes me laugh until I cry and I miss her every day. We don't talk every day, but I'm so thankful that I get to see her in 9 days. Be nice to her Mississippi! The memories I have with her are unforgettable and I can't wait to make more with her. Love you Lo!

Day 11: (Late, again..) I am thankful to have a job. Not only do I have a job I enjoy, but I have the best co-workers ever. They are so much fun and I can't help but laugh when I'm around them. They are all so beautiful and skinny that it is unbelievable. Thanks for being good people and great friends.

Day 12: I am thankful for my second mom's, Miquelle Scheidle Smith and Jenny Jones you two ladies are exceptional. In the last 8 years I have not really had much of a maternal figure in my life. You have both taken me and made me feel so loved. You are truly what a mother should be to a daughter. Thank you for loving me like I was you own. Thank you for your advice. Thank you for your strong personalities, and thank you for worrying about me. You guys are such great people and I love you both more than you know.

Day 13: I'm thankful for the little things in life. The things that don't really mean much, but are so comforting. A fresh haircut, a baby sonogram for a good friend, a good book you fall asleep reading. sleeping in for an extra five minutes, and a lot of other thing. Don't let them slip by.

Day 14: Today I am thankful for helpful people. The kinda who are always looking out for you no matter what. Thank you for opening my door, or going above and beyond to get me an interview, or helping me find housing. This month has been so stressful and if it weren't for you guys taking the reigns a little bit I would be lost.

Day 15: I'm thankful for distance. I don't get a lot of time to myself because I have a lot on my plate. It seems like I'm always running around. Life is stressful and I'm grateful for those moments of silence where you can sit with a good book, or on a long drive. No music, nothing. Time where you can think and actually hear your own thoughts. No one is around to interrupt you and nothing gets in the way. Silence is sanity.

Day 16: (Late) I'm thankful for good opportunities. I had two wonderful interviews in SLC this weekend and I can't wait to hear back from them. I was really nervous, but am so happy with the way they both went. Change is a good thing.

Day 17: (late) I'm so grateful for good movies they are a little time to be apart of a different world without all the hassles and without all the stress. I'm glad that someone has more creativity than I do.

Day 18: I'm thankful for reunions. I love the way that it feels to see someone you haven't seen in a long time. I love how it's like things never changed. Time and distance separate so many people and I'm glad that we can all pick up where we left off.

Day 19: (Late) This week has been so busy, so I'm playing catch up. I'm thankful for the many blessings I have in my life. I have come a long way in the last four years, and I have had a lot of ups and downs. This weekend I realized life is so much harder for other people. I got to serve 70+ needy families, and although I may not have done much I and grateful that I was able to do something.

Day 20: (late) I'm thankful for laughter. For those moments when something is so funny that you can't help smiling. I'm thankful be have so many happy time with family and friends that make up for all the bad.

Day 21: I'm thankful for creativity. I look around every day and see so much beauty in the world. There are so many forms of talent, and they take so many shapes. I personally don't have many talents, but I'm grateful for the people who share theirs with the world. I don't know where I would be without music or books.

Day 22: (late) Who gets on Facebook on Thanksgiving anyway? Not this girl. I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with Josh yesterday. Our families are so far away that it's impossible to get to see everyone over such a short vacation. This was our first Thanksgiving with just the two of us. He was such a big help in the kitchen. It's really hard to cook for 2 people, Josh eats for 3 though. At the end of the day I'm glad we have food to prepare and a warm meal to eat. We are so blessed to not have to worry about where our next meal is coming from or how we are going to pay for it. Happy Thanksgiving.

So long Cedar

2012 means big changes for the Josh and I. Last week I had the opportunity to go to Salt Lake and interview for two great positions; each very different from one another. Josh has decided to transfer up to the University of Utah and finish his degree in Mechanical Engineering up there. As much as we love Cedar this change has been a long time coming. SUU was a great school from my degree, but the engineering program is far from the best.

Change is hard, moving is stressful, and looking for a new job is time consuming. With the help of great friends I got to interview for two great jobs, and now that I have a job things seem to be falling into place. We are still looking for a place to live and Josh is getting nervous for school, but I'm excited for the change. I finally feel like we are making big strides in the right direction for the future. 

I will miss Cedar (and trust me I never thought I would say that). Making friends isn't easy when you aren't in school, good thing we already know a few people. We have a lot of good memories in this town, but we are on to a new chapter in our lives. Sometimes doors close so others can open, and, although bitter sweet, I'm grateful to be closing this door. It is time to put the pas behind us and move on to better things.

Anniversary Fun

 I grew up in a family that rarely ever took family photos. Looking back there are a lot of times that I can't remember because I don't have pictures to spark those memories. In turn, I have become a huge fan of good pictures. Whether or not that means I'm in front of or behind the camera. I'm thankful to have a husband to humor me. I know he hates photo shoots, but he was a very good sport about it. Here are just a few. (and by a few I mean a lot)

Typical.

 We really struggled with the Bubbles

A special thanks to Kandice Stewart from Kandice Steward Photography. We had a blast doing this.

One year later

People say the first year is the hardest, and if any part of that is true, then the years to come are going to be great. I don't mean to sound like everyday was flowers and rainbows, but overall we really did have a great year. We laughed, we cried (okay... mostly I cried), we fought, we made up, and we laughed some more. 

For our anniversary we spent the weekend in Banff National Park. It is a very touristy area with a lot of cute shops and great outdoor spaces. We did a lot of walking through the Cascade Gardens. The hills of flowers seemed to be endless as we walked through them. Taking a break near a small waterfall to talk and recap the year.

Times like this are surreal. It seems like yesterday we were in the Salt Lake Temple getting married, and here we are one year later. For dinner we went to the Grizzly House which was amazing. It was a fondue restaurant where you order a 4 course mean of your choice: soup/salad, cheese fondue course, meat course, and dessert. For the main course you cook on a hot rock that is at a temp of 630 degrees. The real treat was the dessert, melted Toblerone with fruit and wafers. The restaurant used to be a swingers club so at each table there was a phone where you could call other tables. The experience made the prices well worth it.

The next day we went to the Bow Falls. This areas is very special to me. One year ago this Josh and I headed up to this area. It was about a week before we got married. That day we decided that we would make this a tradition. It was the first time that summer where we really got time to spend alone without the stress of a wedding and being apart all summer.

2012

2011

This is the first tradition we ever had together. Here are to many more to come.

The top tier of our wedding cake was actually pretty good one year later.

Oh Canada.

Little Bow Lake June 30

To celebrate Uncle Glen's Birthday and Canada Day we all headed to Little Bow Lake for some boating. There is nothing I love more than soaking in the sun with good friends and family. We spent the entire day boating, water skiing, tubing, and wakeboarding. The boys had a rough time getting up on the wakeboard but me and Holly had no problem.

Holly hated the tube the entire time she was screaming about how she wasn't enjoying herself. We all got a kick out of watching her. Glen ended up flipping Josh, Jonathan and me off the tube. Great Times.

That night we headed to Cardston to celebrate with Grandpa Cameron. I love that little town. It is so nice to be able to see the temple from all points in the city. We watched the fireworks, had a weenie roast, and shot gophers.

On Sunday we headed to Lethbridge to watch more fireworks, and I must admit these ones were much better than the ones in Cardston. It was a great way to celebrate my new Canadian family

Lethbridge July 1, 2012

Four years later.

Four years, eight semesters, fourty-eight classes, and one hundred and fourty-four credits later I Kasi Lund graduated. If you would have asked me when I graduated high school where I thought I would be in four years I wouldn't have ever said in Cedar City and married. I wouldn't have planned to join a sorority, be part of an honor society (or three), or to have made some of the best friends I've ever had.

College doesn't just show you how to study, what to study, and how to manage your time. It teaches you how to study the night before when you've forgotten you had a test the next day, what Spark Notes are when you didn't "technically" read the entire book, and how to balance a social life with an academic life (p.s. you can't have both). Most importantly, it teaches you about yourself. I hate to say it but I wasn't exactly nice in my classes. I pushed myself and other people out of their comfort zones. I debated, I argued, and I rarely ever agreed with anyone else.

I, Kasi Lund, am one stubborn and opinionated girl.

This stubborn attitude stems from this man right above, Joe Willis. I walked into the Braithwait Building, marched up those very steep stairs all the way to the third floor and into English 1010. I have always liked English because I felt like I was good at it in high school. Come to find out I had no idea what I was doing. I was a comma happy, perfectionist who hated reading books I wasn't interested in.

He pushed me.

Joe was an amazing teacher. Not only did I learn about books from him but I tutored for him and I graded for him. He told me when I was wrong and I told him when he was wrong (most of the time he was wrong). He made me lunch on days that I went from work to class and back to work again because  I was retarded and took too many credits. He allowed me to match his clothes for him because, let's face it, Joe could not match and before this all he had was a closet full of Green Lantern shirts a converse.

Thank you for making me a better writer. Thank you for always being there, and most importantly thank you for introducing my husband to the Walking Dead and Y the Last Man he spends more time reading and watching than he does with me :)

My second family.

I can't say anything that would make you guys realize just how important this family is to me. Maddy and I met (and I used that word very loosely) in Beginning Theory. The class from hell. No one said anything because no one understood the reading that took us two hours to get through. I knew her as the girl with the cute jeans. 

Who would have thought that a year later I would be looking for a house and her mom would be the one on the other end. the next summer we flew to Europe together. We ate crepes in front of Notre Dame, slept in hostiles with beds that were sunken in the middle, and saw Stonehenge (amongst other things). 

Her mom is like my mom, she makes me call hen I leave to see her and call when I get back home. She worries, she makes me protein pancakes at 11 at night, and she cares. I love his lady and wouldn't trade her for the world.

I don't know what I would do without this family.

Lauren Leavitt

Another best friend, a bridesmaid in my wedding, and one of the best people I know. I can always count on having a great time with this one. We don't have to talk every day, or every week, or even every month, but when we do see each other it is like nothing has changed. After four years of ups and downs I can't express how proud of her I am. As she leaves for Ole Miss and we are separated by 2000 miles I take comfort in knowing that she will always be a phone call away.

You'll never know how much you mean to me.

And last, but not least, my husband.

Thank you for all your support. Thank you for making dinner when I needed to study for Business Law 1. Thank you for quizzing me at 5 am when I had a Philosophy test. Thank you for the countless hours in the library last semester while I listened to Tim Lewis lecture about contracts, torts, and God knows what else for three house.

I promise in two years I will do the same for you (it's in writing so this is for real).

Thanks to everyone for the last four years.

Wayne County?

People always exagerate and say they live in the middle of nowhere. Guess what folks? You don't know where the middle of nowhere is until you drive to Wayne County, Utah. Three and a half hours, one tank of gas, and a million deers later, but I wouldn't trade if for the world. Josh and I really had a blast. We love being outdoors and experiencing new things, so this was a great experience to see what Utah really is all about.

People underestimate Utah quite a bit. Yes, there are a lot of Mormon's. Yes, it does get really, really, really hot. Yes, it also gets really, really, really, cold too. And yes, there is a lot of red rock, but in the moments where I am completely surrounded by nature with not a gas station, or Subway in sight I remember just why I love it so much.

Josh, Logan, Natasha (Logan's wife), and myself left Friday night and headed for the Rees's House. The Rees's are a couple that Josh and Logan knew when they were on their mission. I was just meeting them for the first time. They really are great people. They fed us amazing food and let us take over their hour for four days while we went adventuring, 'squatch' hunting, and giant mouse catching. Josh and I aren't able to get out much, but this trip was totally worth the drive. It's nice to get out and have fun with good friends every once in a while.

Getting ready to hike.

Logan and Josh (soul mates)

Natral Bridges, Capitol Reef

Josh being...Josh

Us at the top of the hike.

Celebrations

Yesterday was Josh's 23 birthday, and for some strange reason he did not want to celebrate. I was not going to have that so last minute I decided to get a bunch of friends together and head to the greatest restaurant in Cedar City... Chili's. Yep that's right Cedar City has nothing! Together with our great friends we got to celebrate Josh getting one year older.

It was really nice to have some time with the people that we think are special. They really are like our second family. This weekend we will be celebrating with some other friends in Wayne County in the middle of nowhere, but we are both really looking forward to spending time with good friends that we con't get to see often. I really am so thankful to have a wonderful second family while ours are so far away.

Bras are like friends

Good friends are like bras, always there to support you when you're low. )Great knowledge from a WalMart coffee mug.) Over the last few weeks I really have learned this first hand. Bras come in all different sizes and shapes and materials, but you have to find the style that you like most. Over time some bra wear out and you don't use them any more. Some morph from washing them too often so you throw them away. Others break because they were low quality. Some last forever, you wear them every day and you can't ever go wrong with them.

Talent in the Family

http://kandicestewartphoto.blogspot.com/2012/02/lots-of-lovin-giveaway.html
Everyone should follow her I just checked her out and she does great things!