Okay okay... So it has been WAY too long since the last post and I apologize to all you readers for the wait. I have been very busy, but I know that's no excuse! I started writing a post a week ago and never got around to finishing it so I am starting over. Jeremiah and I have had a lot of midterms since the last time we posted, but also a lot of fun and exciting things going on. The first to note is that we officially booked our flights to Europe!! This was a big and scary(for me anyway) and exciting step in our Europe journey. We did a lot research and asking my parents and Heather and George about their experiences and we decided to try out a website called studentuniverse.com. Heather and George used this and it is a website that offers discounted flights for people under the age of 25. We were looking at arriving in different places all over Europe to see where we could get the best deals and we decided on flying in and out of London. And we are actually leaving from and flying into Los Angeles on the US end. Through student universe we found nonstop flights around the dates we were looking for from LA to London and back on Norwegian airlines. So we ended up booking right through Norwegian airlines for just under $1000! Considering the prices we were looking at early on in our flight search, this was a great deal. It was very scary to finalize that payment but so exciting at the same time. So as of now this is our itinerary: Leave May 24th from Los Angeles, arrive in London, then Bruges --> Amsterdam --> Berlin --> Munich --> Salzburg --> Zermatt --> Paris, back to London, leaving on June 21st. That's four weeks of exploring Europe! We were originally planning on three weeks, but decided to make it four weeks because we aren't sure when/if we'll ever have this much free time again and we paid for the flights, might as well take our time over there! Our next steps include exploring travel options between countries, things to do in and around each place we visit, and places to stay. If you have travelled to any of these places and had some great experiences, we would love to hear your recommendations through the comments section below or through email. So far that is as far as we have gotten on our Europe planning, but the flight is a big step... We are now financially invested in the trip!

I am going to assume that you don't really want to hear about the dozen tests we have taken between the two of us, the hours of studying, or the monotony of our homework and school lives, so I'll tell you more exciting things that have taken place. A couple days after we purchased our flights to Europe, Jeremiah and I hopped in the car with his family and travelled to Disneyland! I know what you're thinking... Again?? Aren't you sick of that place?? Actually no, despite it being our ninth time to a Disney park together. We had a blast! Every October the Dwights go to Disneyland for a special family trip and they always stay in the Grand Californian! I have been lucky enough to join them for the past four years! When we arrived on Saturday, it was later in the evening and we got up to our room and we all just stopped and smiled at this awesome view right out of our window. So cool! It was the perfect start to the trip! The next four days were filled with rides, food, shows, food, great conversation, and yeah, great food. So we ate a lot, but we also walked a lot, and just really enjoyed ourselves. This trip always makes me feel like part of their family because it is one of their most loved traditions, and I'm pretty sure I didn't stop smiling the whole weekend. Pretty amazing how Disney can make your experience feel magical no matter how many times you go!

Nine times to a Disney park together!

This past weekend did not let us down either! It started off with a date night to Cibo Pizzeria and the Phoenix Symphony with my brother, Brian, and sister-in-law, Terrisa. Terrisa and Jeremiah had briefly talked about how it would be fun to do a date night to the symphony so we decided to make it happen! It was a delicious dinner and a very well-performed symphony. It was also very convenient for me, literally a few blocks down the street! So we had a great night with Brian and Terrisa. That may have been the first time just the four of us together for that long, and it was a great experience! We had good conversation, and while we missed Paisley and Parker, it was good to talk with just the two of them. Then on Saturday I woke up very early to pick up Jeremiah and my friend Patty and one of her friends and we all went to the REI store for a big sale! Jeremiah, Patty, and I are joining my family and a few others for a hike to Havasupai falls in the Grand Canyon over Halloween weekend! We need a lot of hiking gear and REI happened to be having a huge sale this past Saturday. So we all got breakfast and got in line at about 7 am, and waited until 9 for them to open. We all got things that we wanted, so it was successful, and also very fun! After that, Jeremiah and I went with our friend Stephanie to get our football tickets for the ASU v. Stanford game. We ended up getting really good seats! We went to an event called Devils on Mill before the game started and got free food, free movie tickets, and walked around and got pumped for the game! At the game, like I said, we had great seats, and we got free shirts! We also beat Stanford 26-10 so that was even more exciting!

Sunday I got up early again to help get ready for Madeline and Parker's first birthday party!! I honestly can't believe that it has already been a whole year since they were born. Madeline is full on walking and Parker is crawling, and they are both absolutely adorable. Plus the party was awesome. It was a Western theme, so cowboys and cowgirls, and bales of hay, and Western foods. Heather and Terrisa did a great job putting it all together, and it seemed to me like everyone had a great time!

I really should get into a better habit of writing on this blog, because it is a really good reminder of all of the good things that I have going on in my life. During the week my classes and job can make me feel very overwhelmed and stressed out and sometimes I forget about all of these amazing things that I have! I am so lucky to have my nieces and nephew to celebrate, and to have a great school to attend, and have the opportunity to travel to Europe! Looking back on just the past few weeks I am reminded of all of those great things! I hope that anyone reading this is having a good week and can take the time to look back on all the good things that have happened to you in the past few weeks.

We will continue to try to get more consistent at writing on this blog so that you can keep updated on our Europe journey and our lives! Thanks for reading!

Riding Thunder Mountain with Nathan, Jeremiah's brother, in the middle.

 Devils on Mill

 At the game!

 Awaiting their cupcakes!