4.14.2012

Ready to Say Goodbye to Cache Valley

Today, we have been married about 3 1/2 months, and it's the first Saturday night we have spent doing our own thing. Honestly, I'm not crazy about it, but there is no way I was driving to all the way to Orem for a mission reunion -- no offense guys. I know there is some wife or girlfriend out there that knows what I mean.

Dalton and I fused our lives together at an interesting time for both of us. Dalton was coming back to his old life while I was ready to leave the life I knew for three years. He has been figuring out what exactly he wants to study, while I've decided and realized I want my career to go somewhere different than I originally thought. Dalton has been talking about actuarial science and accounting, or sports marketing.The latter choice has everything to do with his football fanaticism. I want to be an English professor.

Sidenote: Since being married, I've had to become more open-minded than I was. I married into a family that takes it personally when their team loses. And they watch golf. My family makes fun of people who watch golf. So of course, The Bennett's watch the Masters Tournament while eating Easter ham and deviled eggs. In my family, there are absolutley no distractions while enjoying Easter dinner. We must have a pleasant conversation while looking each other in the eye. I don't necessarily have a preference for either tradition. In conclusion, I am beginning to practice my golf swing and know that during the 2012 NFL season I should expect to not talk to Dalton if the 49ers lose.

My birthday is coming up! My parents will be here a few days before to celebrate and come to my graduation ceremony. Once I've walked across the stage in my gap and gown, we will pack our basement apartment -- it has served us well, though it's a sauna with a fake wall -- and then haul everything down to my grandparents' house in Pleasant Grove. They are on a mission, so it's not like we are just crashing at their place until we figure our lives out, though that wouldn't be the worst idea. Dalton starts at BYU in the fall and I am waiting for the final word on a communications internship in Lehi. I could also possibly end up at The Daily Herald. It's all so uncertain, and after each of us having a path paved for us these last few years, we feel like we are wandering in the dark. But the blessing of living in my grandparents' house is huge, especially while we are going through this transitioning period.

In mid-March we made a getaway to Portland!  The first images that pop into my head about that trip include a homeless man who vomited right in front of us and spotting a book called The Sexual Life of Catherine M. I had a good laugh, but was grateful my last name no longer began with "M." In all seriousness, we saw beautiful waterfalls, an amazing mansions, went to almost every quirky theater, saw art, saw science displays and ate delicious food. Overall, the Bennett family's first roadtrip was a win.


Oh, and we seriously LOVE cooking. I don't follow a recipe book, hardly ever. I start with one, but then swap out about half of the ingredients. There haven't been any major failures yet, but Dalton's first go at curry didn't hook him. Don't worry, he'll come around. This summer, I'll start posting my concotions. Maybe someone will actually try them, who knows!


Here is my most recent invention -- a twist on buffalo wings. They only took 40 minutes to prepare and bake-



Well, we are excited to leave and the days are counting down. I can't bevlieve after thousands of hours in The Statesman Office I will be saying goodbye so soon. I will feel liberated to leave, but know I will miss it because I put a piece of my heart into that paper. Dalton seems to be happy that I won't be coming home at 1 a.m. anymore. I can't imagine my life not voming home at 1 a.m.

We love you all!