BYU vs. Utah

Tailgating!
Mike excited for bratwurst
Mary Ann and Tom
Go Bauman #35!
Lindsay and Matt

Devin, Julie, and us
The Baumans who could make it

Mike and I went to Salt Lake last weekend! Mike had to work all day Thanksgiving, but we were just happy to see our families that weekend. We were really excited to go to the BYU-Utah football game as well. Mike's brother Matt has played football for BYU and this was his last home game before he graduates. We really wanted to go to at least one of his games this season, so we felt pretty lucky to have a weekend free for this one. To be honest, I've never been way into the rivalry but since I graduated from the U I've always wanted them to win. But I was for sure a BYU fan this year. Mike says I will be from here on out....I guess if he says so? :) We'll see about that. I was so happy they won this year though! Anyhow, we had fun and I miss home already. We are planning on going back in January for a full week. Can't wait!

Pumpkins a Flapper and a Hottie

We bought a pumpkin and then naturally it didn't get carved. How can one carve a pumpkin while sleeping? Maybe next year we will have enough time (a.k.a. Mike won't have such a lame rotation) to carve an amazing pumpkin. I told Mike to make a funny face here-I wish you could understand just how funny the face he's making is. You will just have to take my word for it. Its funny.



Mike and I were a 1920s couple for Halloween. He was in the Mafia and I was a flapper. This was my first Halloween married, and despite Michael's protests, he dressed up in a couples costume with me. I loved it :) Now on to Thanksgiving...

BOO!

Snoqualmie Falls

As our 95-year-old neighbor Dot would say, Michael and I went on an "outing." That's not true. We don't have a neighbor named Dot. But, on one of Mike's rare days off, we did drive to "one of Washington state's most popular scenic attractions" (http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/ just in case I'm caught plagarizing), Snoqualmie Falls. Washington really is a beautiful state!

getting settled

Our apartment
That enormous picture is of Amsterdam- where Mike served his mission
Me cooking... (you can't see the splatterings on the ceiling in this)

Good news, I found a job! Well, two jobs... I was lucky to find a nanny job during the day that will allow me to teach piano in the afternoons. I already have 8 students! Apparently, there are not a lot of piano teachers around here so I've had tons of quick responses. I'm so happy with how it turned out. Mike is in his toughest rotation right now. We wake up at 3:30-4 am every morning and he goes to work usually until 6 at night. AND he only gets every other weekend off. He handles it all so well it amazes me. It lasts for 3 months so we are REALLY looking forward to Christmas. At least we get to spend time together in the evenings- definitely beats seeing each other 2 days a month when we were dating!
I'm putting a couple pics of our apartment up. We live on Mercer Island, which is about 7 freeway minutes away from downtown Seattle, but is surrounded by beautiful trees and water, away from the city. We love it!

Our Beginning...

I am starting a blog. Living away from everyone has suddenly made me feel the need to stay as connected as possible to our friends and family. So here it goes...
Mike and I were married 3 1/2 weeks ago on Saturday, August 8th. We drove my car up to Seattle the day after, and moved my stuff into our apartment. He had to be back at work on Monday, but we had a fun first 2 weeks of married life here. His parents drove our wedding presents up and helped us get settled, then drove us back down to Salt Lake. We left for Cancun and had SO much fun (swimming with dolphins, snorkeling in underground caves, laying on the beach, swimming in the Caribbean, visiting Mayan ruins and villages, zip-lining over a crocodile infested pond, repelling into a cave, walking through the jungle, canoeing, eating, holding monkeys and parrots, sleeping in between... you know, FUN) and then on the weekend we got to spend precious time with our families...and now Mike is back to a lonnnggg day of work and I am sitting here eating licorice not wanting to job search but knowing that I HAVE to or I'll keep feeling sick about it. But despite that, I'm delighted to report that we have both never been happier :) Marriage is better than I even imagined (and I imagined it was pretty incredible)! I definitely have my sweet Michael to thank for that. (He'll be so embarrassed I said that- YES!)