Unexpected Amazingness & Improvements!

My cousin Aly called me a couple weeks ago and asked me if her and her husband and some friends could stay with us for a couple days on their way back from Disneyland. Now i went through all the emotions of stress, happiness, frustration, and jealousy- i LOVE Disneyland! :) because we had only been in our house for a little under 2 weeks and we hardly had any furniture or anything set up ready for company. A couple days prior to their arrival Seth & i picked out an incredible Love Sac ("The Big One") and it was suppose to arrive a couple days after our guests would come. The next day i was just browsing around RC Willey when i found an AMAZING bedroom set for half price (thank heaven for blowout sales), the perfect couch, and a coffee table with a matching end table. I called Seth & told him about everything i had found and he told me to get it!! He hadn't even SEEN any of it, but he apparently trusted my judgement...and lets FACE it, a $3500 bedroom set for $1400 - and a $1400 couch for $499 doesn't come around everyday. SO, i did it. I got it all! We were very excited, and it ended up coming the day after our company arrived. NOW you might be thinking the "unexpected amazingness" is the great deal we received on our furniture...BUT it's NOT. The unexpected amazingness was the company we received. My cousin Aly & her hubby Ryan were a blast, and the couple they brought with them will forever remain our dear friends! I mean, i had no idea that such special people would be gracing our home! Not only did we hit it off right away and NEVER ran out of anything to talk about, but they helped me out so so much. Seth was working a lot and was not home for our entire load of furniture to be delivered, but the two boys, Jake & Ryan, put smiles on their faces and moved furniture, helped me set up furniture, ran errands with me, and MUCH more. Even after Seth got home they helped us with "Operation Mattress" and "Beating the Sac"! (Pictures and explanations are below :) All in all, our company was a blast and such a great blessing to us. We spent time with four individuals this weekend that made us better people and who we will love and cherish for the rest of our lives.

We love you Aly, Ry, Cassie & Jake!!

Here we are at our incredible dinner at Red Robin! We were the last ones out, we had so much fun. (Ryan your face is priceless) ;)

Ryan & Nicci had a good ol' Lemon eating time at dinner!

The two proud soon-to-be Papa's!! They were so cute with Nicci, they're going to make great fathers!

My beautiful cousin looks so great pregnant! I love her.
This picture is for my wonderful parents. They were in Seattle for a week and i was missing them pretty bad, and when we walked out of Red Robin i smelled Star Jasmine and thought of them. In their backyard they have a ton of Star Jasmine so the smell took me back home. :) I love you Mom & Dad!

~The GIRLS!~
(These two pregnant girls radiate like no other!)and...

the BOYS!!
These three guys are all incredible husbands and fathers. I feel so blessed to know them.

---- OPERATION MATTRESS ----

We needed to get our gigantic King Mattress up the stairs...BUT...one small problem. It didn't fit. So what were we to do??

...

...Look towards the light??!

Nope! So when that didn't work we came up with a grand ol' plan!

Shimmy it up the balcony!! The boys tied rope around the mattress and handed it to Seth. He held it there until Jake & Ryan ran upstairs to help pull it over the railing. They were champs!!

Mission Accomplished!!!

We finally have our King sized mattress!! There's nothing that says love like sleeping 4 blissful feet away from your adorable husband! :) We are very excited.

---- BEATING THE SAC ----

And this is our FAVORITE piece of furniture! Our Love Sac...'The Big One'! The instructions we were given was to "beat our sac" until all the matter inside was broken up...SO WE DID!!
The first time we sat in our very own Love Sac. I love him. :)

---- GIRL/GUY TIME ----

The guys went golfing...
(this picture was taken right after they got back)

The girls got Pedicures!!

This was Nicci's first pedicure!!

Beautiful Beautiful Cassie!
Nicci got to put her feet on my hot towel and we got matching colors as well!

Me & my girl and our matching toes! She's the best thing that ever happened to us. I LOVE her.

---- IMPROVEMENTS ----

We worked on our front yard this weekend! Here's 'muscles' getting ready to pull out tree #1!
Planting new tree #1!!
(We named it our "Love Fern". We are fully aware that it's not a fern, however it's the first thing we've ever planted together, therefore, it's our 'love fern' :)

I didn't get pictures of the second tree getting ripped out but here is the final product!


Here are pictures of all the furniture i picked out all by myself!! Let's see how i did...

The beautiful king bedroom set...

The coffee table (the end table is hidden behind the couch) and the new clock.









We finally have a dining room table & family room furniture!

Here is Nicci's favorite part!!
I'm so very blessed to call these two incredible individuals my family.

"Great is your power for good. Marvelous are your talents and devotion. Tremendous is your faith and your love for the Lord, for His work, and for His sons and daughters. Continue to live the gospel. Magnify it before all of your associates. Your good works will carry more weight than any words you might speak."

"Stand A Little Taller," by President Gordon B. Hinckley