4 Years and counting...

Today Shaun and I celebrate 4 amazing years of marriage and 9 awesome years of being together. He is my absolute best friend and the love of my life. Everyday he amazes me with how awesome and intelligent he is. He is a hard worker and a dedicated student and husband. He makes me laugh several times a day and for that I am so grateful. Being married to him has been so easy and fun, and I can not wait until with have children. He is going to be such an amazing, loving, attentive, and caring daddy. Happy Anniversary Baby!!!

Shaun and I in high school

Shaun and I on the Thanksgiving before we got married

Typical day

Right before we entered the temple to be married

Right before we left for our Honeymoon

FAILED.....but hoping to redeem myself

So I failed at listing one thing I am grateful for on each day leading up to Thanksgiving, but that is certainly not for lack of being grateful, I had just gone out of town and it got nuts. So just to kind of redeem myself I thought I would share some things I a grateful for since these past two months have been very full of blessings.

#1 I am grateful my husband was able to find a job 3 days after I lost mine.
#2 I am grateful for brothers and sisters who make you laugh
#3 I am grateful for sweatshirts
#4 I am grateful for 2 working cars
#5 I am grateful for a roof over my head
#6 I am grateful for hot water
#7 I am grateful for our ward that we live in and all the amazing people who make us feel like we belong
#8 I am grateful for my Nursery calling
#9 I am grateful for my Aunt who shares her adorable baby girl, Juliet
#10 I am grateful the knowledge I have, to know that Shaun and I will be blessed with a baby soon

Day 10

Today I am grateful for socks that keep your feet warm. I am not a huge fan of things on my feet, but when it is cold outside socks make my feet warm and they make it feel all cozy. Socks complete the sweatpants and sweatshirt outfit.

Day 9

Today I am grateful for SLEEP! Sleep is essential in my life, as I am sure it is in everyone's life. In college I remember the all nighters I used to pull...those days are no more. I am lucky if I make it past 10 without falling asleep wherever I am. I am so happy that there are at least 8 hours devoted to sleeping so that I can become rejuvenated and ready to go the next morning.

Not Ready to Make Nice

It has been a rough couple of days and it is during these times that it seems like everything comes to the surface. This song has always been one of my favorites, mainly because it describes exactly how I have felt my entire life. I have always felt a little different in my family because I have a different biological father then the rest of my siblings. I don't feel angry because I am not happy with my situation, I feel angry because of the fact that I can't even comprehend what happened 23 years ago when I came into this world. Having fertility struggles these past 3 1/2 years of our marriage has made these feelings worse because I want a baby and it has yet to happen for us, but somehow people can just up and leave their children. I am not talking about parents who know from the very beginning they can't raise a child so they put the baby up for adoption, that is admirable, I am talking about those who have a wonderful gift from God and later down the road they then decide it's not for them. Forgiving does sound good, but it is the forgetting that is hard, and here we are 23 years later and I'm not healed. 
I have the MOST AMAZING father in the world who has raised me since I was very young, and I would NOT trade him for anything or anyone. Sometimes I just wish the past didn't exist. I have spent several years searching for something that isn't there and I can't get that time back. 
I am just so grateful for a father who loves me and mother who was strong enough to take care of me alone for a little while. She is someone I will always look up to because I am sure it wasn't easy. I am grateful for a daddy who CHOSE ME. He didn't have to be my dad but he is and for that I will always, ALWAYS be so grateful.

Not Ready To Make Nice

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I'm not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting

I'm through with doubt
There's nothing left for me to figure out
I've paid a price
And I'll keep paying

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time
To go round and round and round

It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can't you just get over it??
It turned my whole world around
And I kinda like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don't mind sayin'
It's a sad, sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger

And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter sayin' that I better
Shut up and sing or my life will be over

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time
To go round and round and round

It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do what it is you think I should

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time
To go round and round and round

It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself
To do what it is you think I should
What it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I'm not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting

Day 5-8

I can't beleive I have let 4 days get away from me. I will post 4 things I am grateful for.

1. I am grateful for my dog, Mari. She is quite a handful but it is fun to have a dog. A few months ago she got really sick and we thought we were going to lose her. I am so grateful she survived and I love that she is excited about everything. She loves to sit right outside the kitchen and watch me cook.

2. I am grateful for school. It is such a great opportunity that Shaun and I have to attend college and get an education that will lead to a better future for our family. We have sacrificed so much to move here to Cedar City and attend SUU and it is so wonderful to see the blessings coming from it.

3. I am grateful for Temples. I love what they mean, what they give to the saints, and I love their beauty. Going to the temple gives me such peace and comfort. When I go to the temple I feel at peace.

4. I am grateful the winter and snow! I love the cold! I always say you can fix cold, but you can't fix hot. Snow is beautiful and it is like a clean white blanket being laid across the city. There is something about going out at night when it is snowing that is so refreshing.

 

Day 4

Today I am thankful for modern technology. I use a computer every single day along with my phone and iPad for both school and work. I am so grateful for how easy technology makes everything. Technology has given my the ability to stay at my wonderful job even though I moved to Cedar City.

Day 3

I am thankful for my amazing husband who I adore! This December we will have been together 9 years and married 4 of those years. He is my rock, my Prince Charming, and everything I wished for. We have so much fun and he is constantly making me smile and laugh.

A Month Of Being Thankful

I love the idea of blogging one things each day of November, that I am thankful for. I have seen this done on several blogs and I think it is a brilliant way to one, to share what I am thankful for, and two- a great way to stay up on blogging. I am a two days behind so I will share those here and then hopefully continue successfully on time all the other days.

Day 1

I am thankful for my parents. My parents are my heros and they have definitely taught me well and raised me to be the crazy ambitious person I am. My Dad is so amazing and anytime I start to talk about him I tear up. He is a wonderful example, a hard worker, a great daddy, and a very humble man. My mom is someone I have always butt heads with but I know she will always be my #1 fan. I admire her for he hard work, her drive to do things, her ability to speak her mind, and most of all, the fact that she gave birth to 7 of us, and is a great mom!

Day 2


I am thankful for my siblings. As we have all grown up and started leaving the home one by one I become even more grateful for such awesome siblings. Everyone of them are so smart, kind, and lovable. I am lucky to be able to call them my brothers and sisters. I hope as we continue getting older and more of them get married, and have kids that we will get closer and closer. It is so fun to be college at the same time as two of my other siblings. I wish I was done, but at the same time it is fun to talk about   our experiences together as they happen.

Halloween 2011

Halloween has sadly come and gone, but we enjoyed every minute of the holiday! Halloween is one our favorites and we did all of our usual traditions except having a party. Instead we attended a school event called The Howl. They decorated the Student Center in a creepy pirate theme and had a Spooky House, Daniel Martin the magician, and some other fun booths and even a dance. It was fun to get all dressed up and have fun with Shaun and my Aunt Brittany and her husband Joe. 

Making Carmel Apples was the first fun thing we did. We had so much fun making these, and eating them.

Getting all ready for the Howl 

Shaun and I before the Howl

My Aunt as the Queen of Hearts (hopefully I get a better picture of her in the costume because if was amazing-you really must see the entire thing) and her husband, Joe as the March Hare

My Aunt and I were the last to carve pumpkins and we ended up carving a few each since others did not want to carve. 

All of our finished pumpkins. We had my grandma, and Joe's mom visiting as well as my cousin Hunter so we had tons of pumpkins

Shaun's pumpkin

One of my pumpkins

The other pumpkin

Disneyland Trip

In October we had Fall break at school on the 17th and 18th and we decided to take this opportunity to really get away from school and work and have some fun! We spent the weekend visiting family and having a blast with them, and then Sunday we drove down to Anaheim where we stayed in a less than desirable hotel with Shaun's amazing dad and step mom. We went with them to Disneyland on Monday the 17th and had so much fun riding several rides, eating the Disney cuisine...like Mexican food that wasn't really Mexican food ;). Shaun had never been to California Adventure so that is where we spent most of the day Monday. By the end of the day Monday we were pooped! We all decided the hot tub is where our feet needed to be. One Tuesday Shaun and I spent another day at both Disneyland and California Adventure where we had a great time on our "date." We spent Tuesday going on rides we had missed the day before and going to the Aladdin show, which I think is a must see for anyone visiting California Adventure. We also went to a Drawing workshop near Off The Page in California Adventure where we learned how to draw Daisy duck, and I learned my new found talent for drawing! This truly was a divine get a away and we loved every minute of it.

Shaun and Sue buggin around at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney!

I loved all the Halloween Decorations that filled Disneyland! 

My very adorable husband and I waiting to get on Storybook land (a ride Shaun had never been on...WHAT?!?!)

My gorgeous Mother-in law and I in line (same line as above) 

Shaun and his dad, Jason

On Hollywood Tower of Terror. I tried to do a cool pose but I chickened out. 

Shaun and I...and some creeper in the background. I am sure we are waiting in a line somewhere. 

Shaun LOVES Clam Chowder, especially in a sour dough bowl! 

Our sourdough Micky head. It was delicious! 

My Art- Daisy Duck! 

I hate roller-coasters, can you tell?

One the right-me now. On the left- me in 60 years. Guess I'll start applying the wrinkly cream now! 

On our way home we stopped at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas and ate at a restaurant called Steak N' Shake, a place his mother told us about. It was so yummy! They had great service, great food, great shakes, and best of all GREAT PRICES! We even lucked out and went during happy hour so we got half off shakes!

Neeley Family Pictures 2011

Neeley Family 2011

All because two people fell in love <3

Emilee Chantelle (19)

Joshua Don (18)

Jacob Samuel (16)

Saryn Elizabeth (15)

Dallin Scott (12)

Katelyn Mattea (5)