JUNE 2013

Disclaimer: I'm trying to play catch up on documenting our lives together, so our posts might seem a little out of order. I know we're about two years behind, but we've got to start somewhere right? I hope you enjoy the recent and the not so recent events of our lives.

 

With being new to Cache Valley, we are constantly exploring every place we can get. Dallon knows how much I love Sunday drives, so he suggested we pack a lunch and go for a drive. We decided to go to the south end of Cache Valley, towards Paradise. We found Porcupine Reservoir, a beautiful lake surrounded by pretty mountains. While we were exploring, we found a cute little stream to have our lunch by and soaked up the cool mountain air.

 

The Month of May 2014

May has been jam packed with a variety of activities for us.The first week of May had Dallon busy busy busy. He had a couple of intense finals and worked diligently with his study group to earn high marks on all of his tests. I am completely amazed by his hard work and dedication. Being a biological engineer student is not an easy task, but he is up for the challenge and loves learning.

On May 3rd, I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree in Family and Consumer Science Education, Magna Cum Laude. (Dalaki also graduated this same weekend with his Bachelor's degree in Communication). This has been a long time coming, but I am so very blessed to have completed my degree. I couldn't have asked for a better support system for the past six years. I had a great cheerleader section at my graduation and glowed with utmost happiness up on stage. Mike, Sharon, Shanda, Luxi, Maddix, Krista, Derek, and Navy rounded out the Durfey side. Shelley Mom, Nish, Dalaki, Koda, Mandi, Daezia, and Kam rounded out the Livingston/Spaulding side. We were so grateful they could all come to celebrate with us! (Stay tuned for more grad pictures)

It is kind of surreal as I think about what the future has in store. All I've known for the past six years is being a student. It is crazy to think that I will have a 'grown up' job come August. Now that I have finished my degree, I can't help but think of all the things I will miss. I will miss my fellow graduates and hope to continue rubbing shoulders with them in our future careers. They are a great bunch of people and I have loved getting to know them the past two years.

I will miss Julie Wheeler, hands down THE best professor in all the land! I would not have graduated without her constant advice, listening ear, reassurance, friendship, and inspiration.  She is such a great person and I feel so grateful to have had her as a mentor.

I will also miss seeing my partner in crime on campus every day. Dallon helped get me through the tough and stressful times that college brings. He was the voice at the end of the day encouraging me to keep on keeping on when I had had enough and wanted to give up. I am so grateful for his undying love and support.



After all of the graduation festivities, Nish agreed to let Kamdon stay with us for a few days. That kid is so funny! Dallon and I love all of our nieces and nephews. We love every opportunity to spend time with any of them and this wasn't any different. Kam had us laughing the entire time. We can't get over how smart he is and how much he LOVES to talk. He even told us all about COD. Our friends Colin and Sara came over for dinner and to play some COD. Dallon died at one point in the game and yelled out, "Are you serious?!" Kam didn't skip a beat and replied, "I'm serious! I'm good at this game!" He also explained over and over again that his school is his work.




May is a busy month, especially with track. Region track was rescheduled and so Dallon and I were not able to help in the booth. But on a positive note, The Chief, Daezia, Akaydeh, and Trex were able to come visit for the weekend. We love having visitors! We took them on a grand tour of the valley and took Dad to his favorite store, Al's Sporting Goods. We had a great time exploring, getting Aggie Ice Cream, playing racquetball, watching Mulan and Extreme Couponers, and chatting it up.

(Kin decided to have a photo shoot in their fort that they built. It was made out of a red blanket and umbrella)

The next week brought the state track meet. I don't know what it is about this event, but I absolutely love it! I love soaking up the sun and watching amazing athletes perform. It also makes me miss being in shape and not having a care in the world, I mean other than running to the best of my ability. It is just incredible to see these talented athletes work so hard and see their progress and accomplishments. The weekend was filled with laughter, cheers, competitiveness, and fun. Being out in the sun all day sure took its toll on us.....27 beverages later....and a few naps.....we were good to go!

After the meet got over, we had the opportunity to stay at Jim's house in Salem. We had a great time playing card/board games, ping pong, tennis, listening to his new car's sound system, and having intriguing conversations. We always have a fun time when we get together with Jim.

The third week of May, the docks were finally put out at the Benson Marina. We went with Colin and Sara to go night fishing after I got off work. We love it out in the great outdoors! It was a beautiful night, a sky full of stars, a light breeze, and some okay fishing. We caught a couple carp, and one pretty good sized catfish, which tasted delicious btw.

The next week brought some sad news. Colin and Sara told us that they would be moving to Oregon. I'm not going to lie, it was rough news to take. We have loved spending time with them the past year. Ever since they came to our house, the day that they met, we have considered them some of our very best friends. We are so sad to see them go, but wish them the best in their endeavors.

This past weekend was completely filled with family festivities. On Thursday we visited Krista, Derek, and Navy. Krista gave me eye lash extensions and did a wonderful  job! There are somedays when I don't have the best confidence, and it is crazy just how much better I feel with these extensions. Navy is such a happy baby and Dallon had fun watching her while Krista worked on my eye lashes.

We then headed south to Milford for Daezia's High School Graduation. On the way down, I put the finishing touches on her t-shirt quilt that I have been working very diligently on the past couple of months. Daezia had quite a bit on her plate this weekend. She made the graduation slide show, was named the Valedictorian, gave a wonderful speech, and sang a solo! I felt so proud to be her sister. She did such a great job on all of her tasks and I am amazed by her courage and strength. There is no way that I could have sang by myself in front of all those people! She truly has a heart of gold and I know she is going to accomplish amazing things in her life. She is such an inspiration.

(I did EWWW -Nisha)

Our festivities did not stop there, on Saturday we had Tayleah's baptism. She was absolutely radiant in her gorgeous white dress. She insisted that I braid her hair into a side pony tail so that everyone could see just how long her hair is getting. Tears filled my eyes as I watched this strong and beautiful Child of God be baptized, when there was a time when we didn't even know if this day would come. I am so grateful for her example and for her sweet testimony.

On Sunday, Stockton Mitchell was blessed and Tayleah Reese was confirmed. Stockton was handsome in his white tux, and Tay was gorgeous in her fancy dress. Both were given beautiful prayers and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the spirit testifying that these ordinances are vital to being a member in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

While we were in Milford, we had a great time playing games (ie the name game and box of lies), watching youtube videos, getting brain freezes, cooking, eating, laughing, analyzing, singing, going on pop runs, as well as remembering those that have gone on before us. I always loved living in Milford because it felt like the party always came to us. Grandma and Grandpa Fisher always had a special connection with their offspring and I was fortunate enough to grow up right next to them. So when anyone ever came to visit them, we got to see them as well. It is a blessing I will always cherish. Having grown up and moved away, it still is wonderful to see family and friends gather in Milford to pay tribute to the ones that inspired them. I am so grateful for the family in which I was born into and will always cherish my time with my immediate and extended family.

Even though we are super busy, we can't help but feel overly grateful for the life that we live. We have been married a little over two years now and we couldn't be happier. We are so grateful to have wonderful families and awesome friends.

April came and went....2014

The month of April brought exciting happenings. On April 4th at 1:53 am, we received a text message from Daezia stating, "Baby Stockton is here!!! He's large and in charge." Jeep and Nish welcomed their fifth child into the world, Stockton Mitchell Spaulding. We rushed down to meet him as soon as we could. We even brought a surprise visitor with us to help at the annual track meet, none other than Melanie aka Millinie Vanillinie.

While we were in Milford, we got to celebrate Tay's birthday. Daezia made an amazing Elsa cake and we watched as she eagerly opened her presents. Tay is a spunky little girl and we literally laughed out loud when Nish told us that she requested spy or prank stuff for her birthday. We then laughed out loud again when she used her problem solving skills to not only find a picture, but to glue it onto her spy ID card. We sure love our Tay and family time!

April also brought our first night fishing trip with Colin and Sara. We went out to our usual spot at the Benson Marina. The docks were not out yet so we had to fish off of the shore. We weren't very lucky, seeing how I caught a minnow! But Sarah caught the first catfish that was a somewhat reasonable size.

The last week in April, I was offered a full time teaching position at Central Davis Junior High School in Layton, Utah. I will be teaching an array of Family and Consumer Science classes with one of my fellow graduates, Lexi Brown. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher/friend to work with as I embark on this new and exciting adventure. I also was offered a basketball coaching position. We will be staying in Logan and I will make the 45 minute commute.

Philosophy of Teaching

      Hello, my name is Kaitlin Durfey. I was born and raised in the wonderful town of Milford, Utah. I currently attend Utah State University in Logan, Utah. I am studying the field of Family and Consumer Science Education. I plan on obtaining my bachelor’s degree to be a licensed teacher.
      I have always been engrossed in the intricate studies of the family. I believe this passion came about because I come from a family of eight kids. Family life is a very important subject that our future generation needs to be familiar with. It is a building block that is critical to their upbringing. I hope to be able to enlighten teenagers about this very precious subject, so that they will be able to become outstanding leaders, friends, and people. I owe my family everything, and want to study to become a Family and Consumer Science teacher. I want our future students to know what it is like to have strong family bonds.

Official Aggies

Well folks, it looks like that summer is about to be over, yesterday marked the last day to have student fees and tuition paid off, (or else one would lose their classes.) Luckily we were fortunate enough to get all of this taken care of and we are set for the upcoming school semester. We are official Aggies now because we finally got our student id cards...which are pretty fancy if ya ask me. Campus kind of overwhelms us, but we're getting the hang of it. We also took our first stroll up the Old Main Hill....what a doozie! Hopefully it gets easier to climb with time. 

We also finally made the trip to Bear Lake! I had no idea that it was in RICH county....who knew?? It was a beautiful scenic route and we finally got to our destination, North Shore around 11. The water was chilly, but we got used to it after a minute. It was incredible to see the turquoise colored water! And to add to that, it was HUGE! To tell ya the truth, it looked like an ocean for awhile. We swam around a bit and Dallon had me laughing out loud numerous times. First when he was "walking in place" and then when he walked like a crab. There is NEVER a dull moment with him, ever, even if there's a fire! We are constantly laughing and I absolutely love being married to him.

Anywho, I finally got a job! I am a hostess at Kabuki, a Japanese Steakhouse. It was intense at first, but I'm catching on a little at a time. I love to meet new people every time I work and the people I work with are pretty chill. I also start my other job tomorrow, as a high school volleyball official. I am intrigued to see how things are run up here. I went to one meeting already and have my first match tomorrow at Northridge, a junior varsity tournament. Dallon is still working at West Liberty. It has been quite the experience for him and he's loved meeting new people. 

Well, that just about sums it up for the Durfeys. We're keeping it real in Cache Valley. Chao. 

July is winding down, so is the summer...

So as I sit here at home, planning out our lives for the next few months and it hit me. School starts in one month.....yikes! This summer has flown by it seems like, and yet it feels like years since we were going to school and living in Cedar. We're both very excited to see what this new semester has in store for us at Utah State. I will begin the first of hopefully my last four semesters. I have a whopping 17 credit lineup and am ready to finish up my degree in Family and Consumer Science Education. Dallon will have his plate full as well with 15 credits studying Bio-Chemistry. Logan has been very good to us so far and we are excited to jump into the aggie lifestyle.

This summer has been full of road trips which mainly involve weddings. Dallon has been such a trooper through all of them. Every time we attend a wedding or reception it takes me back to our wedding and it makes me feel so grateful to have Dallon by my side. The most recent one we attended was my beautiful cousin Brittany's and her spouse Mark. She was such a gorgeous bride! I'm glad we got to spend their special day with them. It was fun catching up with the Idaho fam.

Just recently we were able to have my family come for a visit. They came to see our humble abode and we hosted our first birthday party in Logan. Akaydeh turned 10 this year so I made a cake for her party, then the next morning we had a grand breakfast party. It was fun having my family gather under our roof.

We also had the opportunity to take a couple of tours in Salt Lake. We went to the conference center and had a complete tour. It is such an amazing building!! All of the paintings, sculptures, architecture, landscape, fountains, and tour guides really made it quite the experience. We also had a tour of Brigham Young's house, where one of our tour guides was from Brazil so Dallon got to brush up on his Portuguese! I always love hearing him talk in Portuguese, it reminds me of his hard work and dedication he lived by while on the mish.

Other than that we're pretty much boring. However, I find it interesting that every day I go out to get the mail I swear to you that we get a wedding announcement every day, if not every other day. It seems crazy to me, but what can ya do?

Til next time.....

These are the days

First I want to put a disclaimer on this post, it is going to be long, full of pictures, and it might get a little lovey dove, so if you still want to hear about our adventures, continue reading.

With Dallon working long hours, I have a lot of time to myself, and I have not blogged about a lot of the activities we have experienced. My cousin actually got me thinking about posting pictures which were mistakeingly forgotten. I've been busily working on making collages for this post mainly because I love making collages.

This first collage depicts the first week of our new life in Logan. We tried to hit as many fishing spots as possible, and we just like to be out and about in the sunshine because we love summer! Dallon is a professional fisher and I love to just catch me some rays. We also saw this car on our way to one of the lakes and I just had to laugh.

Next are some candids of our trip to Wayne County. We had tons of fun and got to meet our new niece. She and her sister are absolutely gorgeous! Clayton and Shanda should have a hundred kids, because they are just so  cute! I wanted to do something special for Maddi and Luxi so I decided to make them hand tied blankets. I loved how cuddly Luxi was, it melted my heart. I also got to sneak away for a bit and help Nish coach in Piute. I am going to miss making random trips to see my sisters. I absolutely love coaching and can't wait to be able to do it again someday.

These next collages tell the story of one of the best days of my life, so far. It was the day that I was sealed for time and all eternity to my family. It was such a glorious day and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family, that I now get to be with forever. We had a  lot of laughs, tears, hugs, and pictures. I am so grateful for my family and even more grateful that I get to keep them for time and all eternity.

Oh this next collage goes down in the books as depicting an epic night at Applebees with Nish, Jeep, and Kiana. We just happened to be lucky enough to hit bingo night! Lady luck definitely was present at our table because Dallon won regular bingo and then I won blackout, despite what Jeep thought! We won some cools prizes and I went home with a stomach ache as well as soar smiling muscles because I couldn't stop smiling or laughing.

Zoo collage! The park here in Cache Valley is definitely legitimate. We saw some pretty sweet animals. I have to admit I was a bit scared of the peacock, it just kept following us around and making this gosh awful noise! But other than that we loved it. Oh and we also found a pretty sweet bowling alley. Kudos to Logan Lanes, open til midnight!

Oh and how could I forget about Warped Tour?? We had so much fun at the State Fair Grounds watching some amazingly talented musicians. Dalaki did a pull up contest, Daezia met her most favorite band, we got to witness the wall of death, TWICE, and we hung out with Dallon's friends from high school. Oh and we got totally fried, but it was so worth it. We had a great time.

Next came the Relay for Life. I was able to make a quick trip home to show my support for this great cause. It always will mean so much to me after what our family has been through with our dear Tayleah. (Which by the way, she had her checkup today, TUMOR FREE) We got to stay up all night talking, walking, running, laughing, and just being awesome. My dad is a machine and goes nonstop, it is truly inspiring. Heidi also made quite a showing by going over 30 miles herself. Kam also was quite entertaining, he downed a whole bag of cheetos, it was awesome! Daezia was in rare form and I laughed out loud at her crazy doings all night. She is a hoot!

The next is a random collage that just shows some of the fun stuff that happens in our apartment. Dallon found 'the lost case' and I had to document it. I took a whole day and organized my bin of yarn, yes I am eighty, so sue me. We also got to have Kayda come stay with us, and I did her hair in a pretty sweet hairstyle I saw on pinterest.

Here we have a few random candids of our last weekend. My mom, Kiana, and Akaydeh came through on their way to Idaho for our cousin Brandi's wedding. We went to eat at Kneaders and were in heaven. The food is sooooo goooood! I've been watching Cake Boss and they always talk about cannolis. Once I saw them in the display case I wanted one so bad. So my mom, being the awesome mom she is bought us all a treat and I got a cannoli! It was delicious! I wonder how it compares to Buddy's?? When we got to Pocatello we went to eat at Red Lobster, a fist time for me. (We went after helping decorate the park for the reception.) It was entertaining to watch Kiana try to crack open the crab legs. 

Next is the Fourth of July!! I absolutely love celebrating this holiday and this time it came around it reminded me just how much I love traditions. Because of a crazy work schedule we decided to stay in Logan and celebrate. I thought of all the traditions that take place on this wonderful holiday and it made me look to the future and I got excited about implementing traditions when we have our own family.   We hit up the park in Hyrum and got us some cotton candy, yes we did stand in line with kids that were way younger than us but we didn't care. What is the fourth of July without cotton candy?? (I also want to buy our own cotton candy maker so we can take it to places and sell it, one could make a killing on the sales) Dallon was pretty tuckered out from being in the sun for so long so he took a nap while I began a new tradition, making funnel cakes! I found a recipe on pinterest and loved how simple it was to make. They were DELICIOUS! We also had an awesome barbecue. Dallon cooked us up some sensational steaks and squash while I made some mashed potatoes. In the middle of our bbq, a family van broke down right outside our apt, so Dallon and two other strangers helped push the van off to the side of the road so they could call a tow truck. People are so nice to just hop out of their cars, or out of their parking lot to help someone in need. We then went to Hyrum for the firework show.  ( fyi this would make firework show the second, because here in Logan they do Freedom Fire and have fireworks on the 3rd too! I got a front row seat to the show.) We sure love us some fireworks! It was so much fun sitting there with my husband, absolutely loving life. I thought about the last fourth of July and how I watched the fireworks alone (not alone alone, I was with my awesome family)  and I looked over and just smiled at Dallon. So much has changed in the last year but I couldn't have asked for anything better. I am married to the love of my life, I live in a beautiful town, and free country. I get to lie in bed at night hopeful for a new day, rather than living in fear for my safety. I get to walk down the street and feel safe.

I am so lucky to live the life I do. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am so grateful to be married to my best friend. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't literally laugh out loud at something he does or says. It boggles my mind constantly just how witty he is, all the time. He is so good to me and I am so grateful for his unconditional love.
I want to finish this post by copying my sister Kiana,  she always makes her post relate to a song that is significant to something going on in her life. When I think of the line 'These are the days' I immediately think of two things, The O Town song that I absolutely love, even if she hates it, and I think of The Calling.

'Cause these are the days worth living

These are the years we're given

And these are the moments

These are the times

Let's make the best out of our lives

This chorus always meant so much to me, even as far back as the first time she made me listen to it. I've always wanted to live up to these lyrics, I've wanted to make the best out of our lives and I feel that I am doing just that.