Greg and Carrie Nichols

News Year Resolution

2011-01-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know that I don't post as much as I would like to so a New Year's Resolution that I have is to post at least 2x's a month! So I hope I can keep up with this so that everyone can know what is going on in our lives.

Also...Greg and I have moved back down to Mesa. If you would like to see us and hang we would love to see you! Send me a message and we can make plans!

Hawaii Trip Part 2

2011-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

So apparently I never posted a part 2 to our trip to Hawaii. So let's see if I can pick up where I left off.

Sunday:
On Sunday morning we went out to Pearl Harbor with Brea and Brint. We went on one of the submarines and got the audio tour. Man there were some tight spaces and the sub is definitely made for short people. I am only 5'5" and I was starting to feel claustrophobic in there. Greg did not fit well in there at all. There were not enough beds for every sailor that was on the sub so they did something called hot bunking. When a sailor came off a shift he would go find another sailor to take out of bed so he could get some sleep. That life style is not for me that is for sure.

After we spent time on the submarine, we caught the ferry to go see the Arizona Memorial. This was my 2nd time seeing the memorial and each time it still amazes and saddens me to all of the individuals who lost their lives that day. It also amazes me that fresh oil is still leaking from the vessel that is at the bottom of the harbor.

Looking towards the front of the ship

List of names of those who died that day

Flag on top of the Memorial

After Pearl Harbor we went back over to the beach and just hung out for the rest of the day! Just the way a vacation should be :)

Monday:

We spent monday on our own and used it as our "tourist day". Brint dropped us off near the International Market near Waikiki. We went through the shops and stopped at the Pick and Pearl kiosk. I picked at oyster and in it was a Black Pearl! Out of the 4 pearl choice the Black Pearl is the most rare. We negotiated with the lady and got a beautiful pennant to mount the pearl in so I could wear it as a necklace. After that the deal was that I could pick one more oyster for free. I was really luck because when she opened it up I got 2 more Black Pearls! I was unbelievable. We didn't mount them there as earrings. Greg did that for me as a Christmas present. They are beautiful and now I have a great set that I can wear out anytime! After the International Market we walked down the strip to see what else was around. We found a Ukulele shop because that was the one thing that Greg wanted to bring home as a souvenir. We had a great day just to ourselves and shopped and did all the "touristy" things that we wanted to do!

In the evening we went night surfing. We were out on the water as the sun set. It was so romantic and I was so glad that I could spend that moment with my husband! We had a great time and got in some great surfing. I was able to stand up but only for a few seconds at a time.

Finally caught a wave!

Sunset

Tuesday:

We went to the Polynesian Culture Center and ended our night with a Luau (sp)... It was a very long but amazing day! We went through many different cultures during the day and took a ton of pictures. We had a great tour guide on the bus to the Culture Center. On the way we saw the bridge that Lucy ran out on in the movie 50 First Dates, Mr. Miyagi's hut for Karate Kid, and the jungle looking area where they filmed Lost. I will let the pics show how much fun we had at PCC.

Crazy Tree Climber

Trying to make fire with sticks

Big Drum Beats

Dinner!

We had an amazing time. We were so tired by the end of the day and got a great nights sleep. After this we had one day left in Hawaii and just spent the day at the beach before we had to go to the airport and return to Phoenix. We took an over night flight so we could have a full last day for our vacation.

Thank you so much to Brint and Brea for letting us stay with them and for showing us the ropes in Oahu! We hope to return soon not only to visit you but to see the island again!

Hawaii Trip Part 1

2010-10-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

In August Greg and I visited Honolulu, Hawaii to visit the island as well as Brea Hiatt and her husband Brint. It had been such a long time since we had seen them and I was talking to Brea one day and she said we could come visit. I thought it was a brilliant idea, but never thought we would be able to pull it off. We made it work and go to visit the Island of Oahu for 1 full week! We arrived on a Wednesday night in August. I want to thank my dad for the tickets for the airline flight. Without that we never would of been able to go. Once we arrived, Brint and Brea met us at the airport to pick us up. We drove back to their apartment to drop off our stuff and then decide how we were going to start out our trip. Once we got settled, they took us to dinner at one of their favorite places. It was a Ramen place. It was the best Ramen I have ever had in my life. After dinner they took us on a tour of downtown Waikiki. I could smell the ocean and feel the breeze and it felt amazing. The only thing that I didn't really like was the humidity. It did a real number on my curly hair. After the walk we went back to where we were staying and settled in for the night. It was so nice of Brint and Brea to let us stay with them. We really appreciated it!

Thursday:
Our first full day in Hawaii Brea took us around some of the island to a beach called "Sandy's Beach". While we were there way off in the distance there was a ship in the ocean. Then Brea informed us that Pirates 4 was filming just off the island and that very well could be the Black Pearl. It was way off in the distance but I really think it was. I got some pictures but they are kinda far out...

Its small but its there...

This one is a little better...

After we spent some time looking at the ship we went down to the beach and laid out our stuff and got ready to enjoy the sand, the water, and the sun. The sun felt amazing and the sound of the waves crashing made me realize that I was actually Hawaii!

Hiding form the sun haha...

Awwwwww :)

Crashing Waves!

Excited for the Ocean

Later that day once we were able to meet up with Brint, we went to go get shaved ice at a place called Shamazus (sp?). It was so good! Shaved ice is the new ice cream in Hawaii. Greg and I split the shaved ice and we had trouble finishing it. This thing was huge. We had half strawberry and half mango and then added condensed milk on top of both sides. It was so YUMMY!!!

After we ate the monstrous shaved ice we then decided to go to dinner. They took us to another favorite restaurant. It was called Teddy's Burger. It reminded me of a 50's diner with a modern twist. The burgers were huge and very good. They had a special sauce that was on the burger and it was amazing!! The burger was way to big for me to finish but I kept eating it because of the sauce.

Friday:

On Friday we went to the North Shore to go snorkeling at Sharks Cove. On the way there we stopped at Waimea Falls and the Dole Plantation but we decided to come back at the end of the day.Waimea Falls was absolutely gorgeous. It was about a mile hike to the end where the falls was. It was very lush and green with lots of flowers.

After Waimea Falls we went snorkeling and it was amazing! The water was clear, a little chilly, but right when we got in the water we landed on a school of fish, not sure what kind they were but they were pretty. Once we were done snorkeling we had a little camp and had hot dogs and chips. It was yummy! The North Shore was absolutely beautiful and had a different feel from Waikiki. The air was more crisp and had a fresher smell to it.

Getting started ... It was a bit cold

School of fish we found right away

Awesome dude!

Tunnel that was found while snorkeling

Saturday:

Saturday went spent the morning learning how to surf! We went down to Waikiki with Brea. They had extra surfboards for us to use so we didn't have to pay for them. We were thankful for that. It was really flat that morning but it was still a good learning environment. My arms were so sore and tired by the end. Other people making surfing look so easy and let me tell you its not. Its exhausting but it was so worth it. We ended up going on a sunset surf on Monday night. It was beautiful and romantic to watch the sunset from the ocean. By the end I was able to stand up on a small wave. It was only for a few seconds but it still counts! I would definitely go surfing again if and when I get the chance :)

Its Been A Year!

2010-06-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

One year ago today I married my best friend and the man of my dreams! All day I have been replaying our wedding day in my head. I can't believe its been a year already. Time has just flown by. Everyone always says that the first year of marriage is always the toughest, but I think we did an awesome job! To celebrate our 1 year of being married we decided to go on a little get-away for the weekend. Greg had never been to the Grand Canyon so I decided that it would be the perfect mini vacation. We had planned on going this summer some time anyway so I thought it would be perfect and special. So what we did was drove to Williams which isn't very far away and stayed at the Grand Canyon Railroad Hotel so we could take the train the next day to the Grand Canyon. So we arrived on Friday and spent the night and then got up in the morning to take the train. It was so cool that the train departed from the hotel that we stayed in. Before we boarded the train there was a cowboy shoot out and it was entertaining. We boarded the train and were in Coach Class Car D Seats 15 C and 15 D. It was a tight fit for Greg's legs but it was so cool and enjoyable. Once we got to the Grand Canyon it was incredible. We had lunch at the Bright Angel Lodge Restaurant and it was good food for not to an expensive price. After lunch we had 2 1/2 hours to roam around the Canyon and go on the trails. We took the rim trail on the South Rim and walked just over a mile to one end of the trail. It was a little warm but there was wind and it made it seem cooler. Anytime I went closer to the edge though Greg would hold on to me really tight and would say I don't want to loose you due to the wind pushing you over the edge of the Grand Canyon. He was so cute being so protective of me. Once we were done at the Canyon we took the train back to Williams were we then headed back to Flagstaff. Once we got back to Flag we refreshed ourselves and then Greg took we out to a nice dinner at Olive Garden. We ate and were very happy. Came home very full and satisfied. We saved the top of our wedding cake so we could eat it on our anniversary. It looked the same just as I remembered it from the wedding day.

I love my husband so much. He is the most amazing man and he has done a great job taking care of me as his wife. I still get butterflies of joy in my stomach when I call him my husband! I know there are many more great years to come and so many surprises to come. God had really blessed our lives and our marriage that we have. Here our some pictures reflecting back...

We have so many more pics but I figure that is a great overlook since we started the journey to become Husband and Wife. Happy 1st Anniversary Greg! I Love You So Much! I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us! :)

Update on the Last Few Months

2010-05-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

I realize it has been a few months since I have posted anything so let me update you on our lives. In March We had spring break from school which was a much needed break. Greg was out of his walking boot and in a regular shoe. He was still using one crutch to get around but he was so excited to be walking again. He also started to drive again. To be honest that was a little scary for me, but it was like he never stopped driving...haha. We went down to the valley to see our families and had a great time. We went to the lake one day and went fishing. We didn't catch anything, but had a wonderful time anyway. Just being at the lake was enough for us. The week after spring break I turned 22! My family came up to celebrate my birthday and had a great time. My mom and I went shopping and went to starbucks. We had some great girl time! Greg was also a wonderful husband and took me out to dinner and spent time with me. He was so worried about what to do for me for my birthday, it was really cute! He did a great job :)

In the month of April nothing really exciting happened, school was coming closer and closer to an end. I worked and was finishing out my college career. Greg's leg was getting better, he was doing physical therapy to strengthen his leg. His knee was still bothering him, but he figured it was no big deal. He had his follow-up doctors appointment and the doctor decided that his knee still shouldn't be hurting as much as it was, they told Greg to continue the physical therapy and see if that helped at all. He has another doctor's appointment this coming Monday and they will see if he tore a ligament in his knee at the time he broke his leg skiing. He he has torn something then that could potentially require another surgery. We will have to see what the doctor says. We also went to a wedding in April at Trinity. It was a weird feeling to go to a wedding there that wasn't mine. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were so glad that we could make it!

May so far has been an eventful month! The 2nd weekend in May included Greg's Cello Recital, my NAU Graduation, and Mother's Day. Greg did an amazing job on his recital I could not of been more proud of him. He was also just so happy to have it behind him.

The day after the recital was my Graduation at NAU. I spent the last 4 years getting educated and I believe it worked! I graduated with a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Biology. I am taking a short break from school right now to rejuvenate but then I will be going back to school for my Nursing Degree. I enjoyed my 4 years at NAU but it feels great to know that I am done. It hasn't fully get in yet, but I'm sure that it will once Greg goes back to school in August and I don't. Currently just working full time and hoping to save up some money for when we move down to the valley.

Congrats to all of the Class of 2010 who graduated from Northern Arizona University!

Now that it is Summer, We are excited to be able to enjoy each other's company! We hope to do lots of fishing, camping, hiking, and hanging out with our friends! Greg got a job at Discount Tire full time and I am working full time now. We hope to have an amazing summer!

Our First Valentine's

2010-02-14T23:07:00.000-08:00

Today was our first married Valentine's! We had a lovely day and Greg is a wonderful husband. For my gift he brought in a cleaning service to deep clean our apartment. With everything thats been going on with work, school, and taking care of Greg and his broken leg, I let our apartment get really cluttered and it just felt dirty. I had been meaning to really clean our place but just never got around to it. I came home from work on Saturday to find that our apartment had already been deep cleaned. Greg brought in a service to clean our place as a surprise! It was such an amazing feeling to walk through the door and already have it done. I was speechless! It was such a great gift. We went to dinner on Saturday night to Olive Garden. It was a very tasty meal with great conversations. We have been married for almost 8 months and it feels like a lot longer than that. Greg is an amazing husband and couldn't ask anymore from him. He loves me for me and I love him for him! I can't wait to spend many more Valentine's Days with him! I love you Greg! XOXO

Marriage Survey

2010-01-31T19:55:00.000-08:00

1. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time?

In Spanish class our sophomore year in high school

2. What is your spouse's full name:

Gregory John Nichols

3. Do you have any house pets:

1 cat: Fyre and 1 fish: Tarsish

4. Do you own a house or rent:

We rent a 1 bedroom condo in Flagstaff

5. Do you live in the country or city:

In the city, right behind NAU campus

6. What is one of your favorite activities together:

Right now Greg has a broken leg so we can’t do much, but we love to ski and snowboard together at Snowbowl and Durango!

7. Do you have a favorite vacation spot:  Camping in the woods

8. When did you first kiss?

We kissed at midnight on New Year’s Eve five days after we started daing. 

9. What church do you attend? 

Grace Community Church in Flagstaff and Trinity Baptist Church in Mesa

10. Where were you married?

We were married in Mesa at Trinity Baptist Church

11. What town is your current address at: Flagstaff  

12. Do you work or stay at home: 

Right now I work and go to school. I am graduating in May from NAU

13. Where did you go on your honeymoon: 

We went on a cruise to the Caribbean. We went to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Mexico.

14.What was the funniest gift you gave when dating? 

We didn't really have any 'funny' gifts...

15. Who asked who out? 

I told Greg I liked him when we went to Homecoming with a bunch of our friends. We didn’t start dating officially until a few months later.

16. How old are each of you? 

He'll be 23 in October, and I will turn 22 in March.

 17.Where do you each work or go to school? 

We both attend NAU. I work at DCI Biologicals as a medical receptionist/phlebotomist. Greg works for NAU as the orchestra librarian.

18. Did you go to the same school?

 Yes both high school and college.

19. Are you from the same home town? 

Yes we lived 5 minutes from each other

20. Who is smarter? 

We are both smart in our own areas  

21. Who is more sensitive? 

I am for sure…

22.Where do you eat out most as a couple? 

Chili’s, its just down the street from our place.

23. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? 

The Caribbean   

24.Who has the craziest exes? 

Neither of us really have any crazy exes

25. Who has the worse temper? 

We each have a different sort of temper...I tend to get upset more quickly, but I'm not explosive. It takes Greg FOREVER to get really mad, he is more stoic and doesn’t really express his anger.

26. Who does the cooking? 

Usually I do right now because Greg has a broken leg. Before that we shared the cooking

27. Who is more social? Greg  

28. Who is the neat-freak? 

That would be me!

29. Who is more stubborn? 

We both have our moments…

30. Who hogs the bed? 

We're pretty good at sharing, but Greg definitely hogs the covers.

31. Who wakes up earlier? 

Depends on our class and work schedule, but most of the time Greg does.

32. Where was your first date?

He took me to dinner after my state dive meet. We went to Native New Yorker and had a great time!

33.Who had more boyfriends/girlfriends? 

We are even.  

34. Do you get flowers often? 

No flowers usually indicate a wrong doing.

35. How do you spend the holidays? 

Going back and forth between both our families.  

36. How long did it take to get serious? 

Just a few months.  

37. Who eats more? 

Greg, DUH! 

38. Who does the laundry? 

Usually me. But greg helps out when he can/wants to.  

39. Who’s better with the computer?

Definitely Greg. He is a computer genesis in my opinion.

40. Leave a piece of advice for the other couples. 

Every relationship/marriage should be about the other person. Being selfless is the most important thing. Without truly loving one another there is no remove for growth in your marriage!

Update on Greg

2010-01-31T15:16:00.000-08:00

I thought I should let everyone know how Greg is doing from his broken leg. He had surgery a week and a half ago in Flagstaff. They placed a titanium rod in his right leg to help the break heal. He was in the hospital for 3 days. That was a rough 3 days. He was suppose to be able to go home on The Friday after his surgery, but he started having chest pains and could keep his oxygen sats above 90% without help. They did a CT scan of his chest to make sure he hadn't thrown a clot. Luckily the scan came back clean of clots, but the scan picked something else up in Greg's chest. THey said it was a nodule above his heart that should be kept an eye on. He is to have another CT scan in 6 months to make sure that what they had found wasn't growing or becoming a problem. Thats a little scary to think about, but we are trusting God that there will be good news and the nodule they found in his chest is nothing. Greg is back at school and back to a pretty normal routine. His pain has gotten better, but is still there. This upcoming Wednesday 2/3, he is getting his stitches out from the surgery and will be given a walking cast. He will still have to use his crutches, but hopefully they will be able to let him slowly stop using his crutches. He is anxious to get back to normal. Its been tough to get around because of all the ice and snow still on the ground from the massive storms that past through Flagstaff that dumped 5 feet of snow in roughly 3-4 days. Its also been hard for him to move around our apartment due to small spaces. However, he is managing. I am so proud of him! Greg has handled this situation so well and has never given up. I am doing everything I can to help him in his time of need! Here are pics after his surgery of the rod and screws they put in his leg.

So this is what he got for skiing and trying something new. I don't think he will ever try moguls ever again. Greg should be completely healed in another 4-6 weeks from now. Impressive huh?!?!

Ski Trip 2010

2010-01-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

We went on our Annual Ski Trip to Durango, Colorado. Our trip started out with the morning of we woke up with no heat in our apartment and the furnace blowing cold air. It was 58 degrees in our apartment and there was still packing and preparing to be done. That was not what we needed to deal with. Anyways we were able to get it fixed before we left and we have heat again. We left once our church group made it to Flagstaff and got on our way. We arrived in Durango, CO and to our cabin about 9pm. We got settled and have a great time hanging out with friends and getting to know new people. Then we headed to bed for the first day of skiing and snowboarding. We had a great day! We were so tired by the end of the day but totally worth it. We got to ski and board with a lot of different people the first day! We were on the back side of the mountain most of the day and had some great runs. Once we were done on the mountain we all headed back to the cabin for dinner. Once dinner was over we had our first worship session and teaching from God. It was an amazing night. Once we were done, we played do you love my neighbor? That was a lot of fun! The second day was another great day of skiing and snowboarding. Greg and I were able to spend the entire day together on the mountain! We spent a lot of quality time together and had some great conversations. We called it early on the mountain because by 2pm we were exhausted and wanted to save our strength for our last day. For our third and final day of skiing we decided to go up as a group and get some video footage. It was going really well. One of Greg's goals was to try moguls. It was the last day so it decided to give it a go. The first one he fell but was ok. The second one he went down his ski got caught and he continued to fall. Because his ski boot didn't pop out of the ski his leg twisted and he heard a pop. He was skied down by ski patrol and had x-rays taken. Its a Spiral fracture of his right tibia that may require surgery to set back in the proper place. We will find out tomorrow once he sees the orthopedic surgeon. Please keep Greg in your prayers and pray for no surgery! I will keep everyone updated.

They skied him down the rest of the mountain in the "sled" to the clinic to check out his leg.

I also got video of him breaking his leg. If I can figure out how to post it I will. Its not too bad, but you can definitely tell something went wrong...

1/2 a Year

2009-12-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

12-19-09 marked half a year of being married to the most amazing man in my life! The last 6 months of marriage has been absolutely wonderful. Yes we have had our tiff's but we have always worked things out and life couldn't be any better! We celebrated by eating Chinese food and by doing a deep cleansing of our apartment. Nothing super special, but we spent the day together and that was all that mattered to me. Christmas is right around the corner and we are exited to see all of our family and then enjoy a small vacation with friends to California. It will be a nice refresher to be away from work and school! Also, to spend time with some of our closest friends. I couldn't ask for anything more. Time has flown by and my marriage is continuing to blossom and grow stronger each day! I can't wait to see what the future holds for us in the near and far future. I couldn't be any happier right now! Greg is such an amazing man and I can't wait to grow old with him (a very long time from now of course...haha).

I love you Greg! You certainly are my better half! :)

I think its time to Update!

2009-12-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I wrote on my blog. There have been some new developments. The semester is almost over. We only have finals left! Thank God!! It has been a very long a stressful semester, but we have made it through. At the end of October I signed up for my last semester of classes at NAU. That was a very weird and awesome feeling! I will be graduating in May and can't wait. Only 4 classes left to take and my career at NAU is over :) For Greg on the other hand he has a little bit longer to wait. He was going to finish a semester early and we were going to move down to the valley this upcoming summer. However that has changed. There are more classes that he has to take then originally planned for so rather than killing himself in one semester he is going to split it into two. So that means that we will move down to the valley in December 2010. He thought a lot about it and prayed about it and that is the decision he decided was best for him. I told him I supported him either way. I can work full time anywhere since I will be graduated. Our landlords told us we can stay as long as we like in our apartment. The place we are in now is perfect for just starting out but I am ready to have more space already.

I may have already mentioned this in an earlier post but we have a cat and her name is Fyre. She is so smart and cute! I swear sometimes that she is 1/2 dog because she loves to play fetch with her pink ball. That thing is almost torn to shreds, and she refuses to play with any of her other toys regularly. Its very fun to play with her. She is a little over a year old now. We took her on her first adventure over Thanksgiving break. We brought her down to the valley with us and she stayed at Greg's parents house. There were two cats already to begin with so we were very curious how she would react The first day she hid under the couch all day and that was expected. The other cats were very curious though and didn't have a problem approaching her. Fyre was a little uncomfortable with them, but it seemed like by the end of the weekend they got along a little bit. It was really cute, all three cats fell asleep on Kimberly's bed on the last day. Fyre was at the end of the bed, Prince Caspian (PC) was in the middle of the bed and Yoda was at the top of her pillow. It was very cute. The car ride for her was interesting. We had a cat carrier for her which she hates, but we got a 6' leash for her and attached it to the carrier and then let her sit on my lap and then she settled on my feet and fell asleep for most of the ride home. She was very cuddly. Another thing we have discovered about Fyre is that she loves fleece and flannel. Anytime that is available to her so goes and lays on it to sleep. We got Fyre her own fleece blanket for Christmas. We thought it was a cute idea. Here are a few pics of her.

Sleeping, isn't she cute!

I took this with my computer and she was trying to figure out what it was and what was happening...

Over Thanksgiving we were down in the valley and had a wonderful time visiting friends and family! It was so nice to see everybody and spent time with them. We usually have 3 Thanksgiving dinners, but only had two this year because my Uncle was sick. That was too bad, but it was good for my tummy. I don't think it could have handled anymore food. In a way I can't wait to host my own Thanksgiving Dinner, but at the same time I think I can :) The time flew by, but we are looking forward to seeing everybody at Christmas. Love you all!

Let's see... The next major thing that happened was Greg turned 22! I know I am a little late but Happy Birthday Honey you are now old. haha j/k Love you! We went out to dinner to Olive Garden and had a nice dinner. His birthday was on a tuesday which was both of our crazy days. It was a late night dinner, but it worked out.

Next, I work at DCI Biologicals which is a plasma donation center. Its an ok job through school, but that is all. Every since I started I have worked a lot with new donors and getting them processed so they can donate for their first time. It is a lot of work and very time consuming, but it is one of my favorite things to do at work. In October, I got my 90 day raise and that was $0.50 which is awesome! I was informed about 3 weeks ago or so that management considered me to become the New Donor Specialist! I was very excited and that also comes with a pay raise! So I have been working there for 5 months and have moved up in the world. It feels great! Things were very rocky to begin with, but they have smoothed over some so thats nice. It will be nice to some be able to come home from work and not worry about school and that is for wherever I work!

Other than that nothing really new has happened here in Flagstaff. It is definitely colder here and it has snowed a few times Now it is mostly ice which is the dreaded part. Snow is pretty, ice is evil. The semester is winding down and then hopefully both of us can have a true break and recover. I am looking forward to Christmas and New Years. I think they are definitely my favorite holidays of the year. Well,I think that sums up the last few months. I will try and be better about this in the future and not get so far behind. Happy Reading!

Pork Chow Mein

2009-09-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Prep: 15 mins. + marinating Cook:15 mins

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless pork loin

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

2 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup coarsely chopped cabbage (optional)

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach (optional)

Served over hot cooked rice

Directions:

1). Cut pork into 4-in. x 1/4 in. strips; place in a bowl. Add garlic and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

2.) Combine the cornstarch, ginger, broth, and remaining soy sauce until smooth; set aside. Hear oil in a large skillet; stir fry pork until no longer pink. Remove; keep warm.

3.) Add carrots and celery; stir fry for 3-4 mins. Add the onion, cabbage and spinach if you choose; stir fry 2-3 mins. Stir broth mixture; Stir into skillet along with pork. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 3-4 mins or until thickened.

4.) Serve immediately over rice

Serving Size: 6

Exciting News!

2009-09-30T21:36:00.001-07:00

So my husband just found out that he can graduate a semester early (Fall 10')! We are so excited! I am graduating in May and then he will be doing his student teaching during the Fall of 2010. After he is finished with that he can walk and say goodbye to NAU! We can both see the light at the end of the tunnel now. :) We were talking tonight at dinner about how we finally feel like we can start planning our lives outside of school. We both are going back eventually, but the break is going to be awesome! We have been in school for 16 years now, I think we deserve a break.

We are planning on moving to Gilbert in June of 2010. That is the area Greg will be doing his student teaching in. I will be working full time somewhere. I am going to try and work out a deal with Bass Pro (since I technically still work there) to see if they were reserve my job until I can return in the summer. If they will then I am all set once we move back down. If not then it will be job hunting season for me. I hope the economy is better by then so I can at least find something decent. Hopefully have a college degree will also play in my favor.

Once Greg is done with his student teaching, hopefully there will be a teaching position available for him. Soon after that I will be going back to school for nursing. I am currently on the waiting list for the Maricopa Community College Programs and I am waiting for my phone call to say a spot is open in the program that I want. They told me it was a 4 semester wait so hopefully it won't take that long, but we will see.

Once I am done with nursing school, we will go where ever God takes us. I would love to move out of AZ for a while and settle in a new place. We will just have to go where there are music openings for Greg. I trust we will be taken care of where ever we end up! We talked about Colorado, Texas, Oregon, and Nevada as possibilities for where we would want to move to. If none of those work out, there is still always AZ. We will just have to see.

Trying Something New

2009-09-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I love taking pictures and thought that I might try and make a side profession out of it. I am just getting started with my new idea so if there is anyone who wants pictures taken, whether family pics, pics just for fun, individual pics, couple pictures, I will take them for free. I figure it will be great practice for me to do it on my friends that I already know. :) Please let me know if you are interested and we will find a time to get together. I am currently in Flagstaff right now.

Email me if you are interested @ trueblue326@gmail.com

Thanks!

Crazy Times

2009-09-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I posted anything. Married life has been absolutely amazing, but its been so busy. Greg and I have settled into life and everything is going great. Our apartment is so perfect for just the two of us. We have a new addition to the family. Her name is Fyre. She is our cat and is so cute. She loves to play and cuddle. It is nice to come home to her. The fall semester has started for both of us and its been a little rocky. Greg is taking 20 credit hours and I am taking 16 credit hours and working 20+ hours a week. We are settling into a routine and things are going better. It is amazing that we have been married for 2 1/2 months now. Time has just flown. I love everyday with my husband and it makes me so excited to be able to say, My husband and I ..... I am excited for this semester because I am loving all of my classes so far and it takes me one step closer to graduation! I will graduate in May with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Biology. For there I will start working full time and then when Greg and I move back down to the valley for his student teaching I will hopefully start nursing school right away. I have applied and been accepted into the Maricopa County Nursing Program and I am currently on a waiting list. Once its my turn then I will get to begin a program. I am hoping to be able to get into an accelerated program and finish that much quicker.

For a long time I felt like I was lost and didn't know what I was suppose to be doing, but God has finally opened some doors and let me see what he is wanting me to do. Everything feels so right and amazing. I really don't know how to explain it any better than that.

I do promise that once I get a chance I will go into more details about each placed we stopped on our honeymoon for those of you who are interested. :)

Honeymoon

2009-07-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

The day after our wedding we left for our honeymoon. My parents picked us up from the hotel and took us to the airport. We were flying from Phoenix to Houston TX. We stayed the night in Houston and then woke up the next morning ready to head to Gavelston TX for our cruise! Our itinerary was to be at sea for the first two days, then Montego Bay Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, Cozumel Mexico, and then a final day at sea before being back in Texas. Once we boarded the ship, we headed to our stateroom which was 7250. Once we got there we immediately went out on our private balcony and just sat down and took in the moment. We took some pictures. We were on the port side of the ship. Once we got settled and unpacked in our room we had to do the stupid safety drill with the life jackets. That took forever as always but it was nice once that was over. By now we were starving so we headed to Deck 9, the Lido Deck, and got something to eat. The food was so amazing! By this point we have started to leave port and we are back in our room on our balcony watching us set sail into the open ocean. There were lots of Activities to do on the ship. The first thing we did was take a nap because we were so exhausted. That was our favorite thing to do every afternoon. It was just like clockwork. haha Being at sea the first two days was great. It gave us a chance to recover from our wedding so we could enjoy the rest of our honeymoon. Our ship was the Carnival Conquest and it was a beautiful ship. We spent the two days at sea exploring the ship and all the marvelous features. We even gambled for the first time. We played black jack and eventually broke even. That is when we decided it was a good time to quit. It was a great first gambling experience.

Greg's favorite thing to do was lock me out on the balcony and then make me beg to be let back in. I never got smart enough about that and I believe he locked me out 3 or 4 times. You would think you would learn the first time, but apparently not for me. Another favorite for both of us was the towel animals we received each night in our stateroom when we came back from dinner. It was a different animal each night and they were so cute. Did you know they actually have a book published that tells you how to make all the different towel creations. I was so close to buying it but then I figured I would leave that task up to the professionals.

Our Cruise Ship

Stingray eating our chocolates

Seductive looking rabbit

Cute elephant

Sunset the first night at Sea

Our Stateroom

They took my sunglasses it made the dog look groovy

The first time Greg locked me out on the balcony

On our balcony before we set sail

Greg relaxing and loving our balcony

I will create a new post for each place we stopped along our cruise in the Caribbean.

Wedding Day Details

2009-07-27T01:22:00.000-07:00

On June 19, 2009 I walked down the aisle at Trinity Baptist Church in Mesa, AZ and became Mrs. Carrie Lynn Nichols! I could not of asked for a more perfect day. It started out in the morning where I went a looked at my flowers. They were gorgeous. After that I went to where the reception was going to be held to look at the final set up. I stood in that room and it hit me that in roughly 6 hours I was going to be back there in my wedding dress and ready to party! That was a surreal feeling. After that I went home and made sure that everything was packed for our honeymoon because we were leaving right away the next day for the Caribbean. Once that was done it was a waiting game until I needed to head to the church to start getting ready. I went to the church around 2pm and started getting my hair done. My hairstylist did any amazing job. While my hair was being done, I also had my make-up done. Both ladies did such an amazing job. Soon my bridesmaids starting arriving and the event began to pick up. I finally was able to get into my dress for pictures. This whole time it was a game to make sure that Greg didn't see me before the ceremony. I had everyone on the look out when I was out of the dressing room. Once pictures started everything went smoothly. I saw the groomsmen and took pictures with them. They went back to Greg and kept telling him and taunting him because they go to see me first. I thought it was really sweet that they kept telling me how beautiful I looked. I was in a daze the whole time this was happening. I couldn't believe my day was finally here. Once pictures were done, they hid me back in the dressing room and the guests started to arrive. The ceremony started without a hitch and things went perfectly. Greg's smile the first time he saw me come down the isle was priceless. It was everything that I imagined. We both could not stop smiling from that point on. The ceremony was beautiful. Once we were announced Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Nichols we greeted everyone in a receiving line. It was great to get to say hello to everyone, even though it was just a quick second. Once that was over we took family pictures and then it was off to the reception. We had a blast once we got there. We had our first dance and I almost cried. It was an amazing feeling to dance with my husband for the first time. Once the dance was over we headed over to our head table and my best friend gave her speech. It was very touching and I love her to death! Finally then we got to go through the buffet line and eat! I was so hungry by that time. The food was amazing. Soon after that came the cutting of the cake. We didn't smash the cake in each others face at the reception, but we did how ever at the rehearsal dinner. Greg's parents got us a cake so we could practice cutting it and I couldn't resist then. That was a great feeling! Once all of the formalities were out of the way, then we got to dancing! We had a blast and the night just flew by. Everyone was so great to us and we are so thankful that we got to share our special day with so many people.

Just after the ceremony outside the church

Precious

The Wedding Party

Andrew wondering what my train on my dress was for

Just me!

Right after we were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Nichols

Greg's smile as he sees me for the first time in my dress

Big brother Greg and Little Brother Andrew

The Guys

Greg getting ready

Father and Daughter

Me and the Girls

Me and Dani

Me and Liz

Me and the Girls again

Me and my Mom

Getting sealed into my dress

Awwwww Just Married!

This was the best day of my entire life! Greg and I started our new life together! :)

WEDDING DAY!

2009-06-19T01:21:00.000-07:00

Today I walk down the isle and become Mr and Mrs Gregory Nichols! :) My day is finally here!!!

The last few days before I become Mrs. Nichols

2009-06-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

As the final days approach before the wedding things are still crazy as ever. Almost everything is ready but there are still a few things remaining. Family starts arriving tomorrow and will be here through the wedding. I have family coming from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida. I feel so special that they would be able to make the trip out here for my wedding. Everything is coming together the slide show is finished, all the favors are done, the bridal party gifts have been completed, and now all I have to do is pick up my dress and make sure the other two bridesmaids dresses are picked up and ok. I am going to get my nails done with some of my girls on thursday before the rehearsal! These last few days I want to be really fun and not stressful because its my final days as single! :)

3 days left until the wedding and then let the honeymoon begin!

Bridal Shower #1

2009-06-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

On Monday June 1st the women of Trinity Baptist Church threw me a bridal shower. I feel so blessed to be a part of a church that is willing to do something like this for me. The shower was great! I had a blast and learned a few things about men (that were written by men) to help remind me how their mind works and how to be a successful wife. I will always keep my little "reminder box". A good one was that Greg gets really crappy when he hasn't eaten in a while and I can always tell, so that is a good time for me to ask him when the last time he has eaten and feed him if he needs food.

My soon to be mother-in-law wrote the devotional for the shower and it was absolutely beautiful. I know that she loves me very much and thinks that I am a great match for her son. It is always hard, especially when its your first child, to let them go and see them happy and on their own. I hope children are a long ways down the road for us but I am happy to have such wonderful "grandparents" on both sides of the family to take care of my future kids.

I opened my presents and they all are going to be helpful, especially in the kitchen, because I know that Greg and I will never go hungry because of how many recipes we got. Of course you need food to make the recipes, but that is another story. There were also a few unmentionable items that I received which are going to be great :) but there is no need to explain any details on that topic.

Thank you to all who put the shower together for me. I feel truly blessed! I had a great time :)

The Semester is Over!!

2009-05-12T00:46:00.000-07:00

The spring 2009 semester is finally over! No more finals, papers, or tests. :) Even though the end of the semester is always tough, it went really well and all of my hard studying really paid off. Towards the end it was really hard to tell myself, go to the library it will be the last time... you can do it. It was a very fun and interesting conversation to have with myself. Greg was really supportive of me and helped me push through to the end. I had 2 finals the last day and they were back to back. The first one started at 7:30am. I just think that is wrong. No student should be asked to think that early in the morning. We are stressed out enough as it is and to tell us we have to function that early is just asking for a breakdown. I survived, but hate having to do it.

Now that school is out of the way, all there is to do is focus on the wedding! There are 5 1/2 weeks to go. We have finished most of the invitations so they can be mailed. People should be receiving their invitations by the end of the week or early next week. Addressing all the envelopes is the part that takes forever and is the least fun (well at least in my opinion). There are so many minor and major details that are left to take care of. I did get to see my dress and it is GORGEOUS!!!! I am taking it to be altered tomorrow and then my entire wedding attire will be set. No its just a matter of getting all the boys figured out for what their tux's will look like. They should be pretty easy so that will be nice. We are still looking for a DJ, which I am waiting for call backs, and we also need a cake. We have an idea what we want but we just have to find somewhere convenient and cheap to get it done.

Everything for our honeymoon is pretty much set. All we have to do is pick which shore excursions we want to do at each stop of the cruise. We will be leaving from Gavalston Texas and heading to Montego Bay Jamaica first. I have always wanted to go to Jamaica and I think I am most excited for this stop. We will only be there for one day so I don't think that is long enough to get a good feel for what is there. It just gives me the excuse to have to come back so I can see the rest of it. haha :) Next we are headed to the Cayman Islands. I am not sure what we will end of doing here, but is just sounds absolutely amazing! Our third and final stop is in Cozumel Mexico. At first I was a little concerned that we wouldn't be able to stop here because of the swine flu break out, but everything seems to be settling down and we should be just fine. We will just have to see what happens in Mexico. Once we get back from our cruise we will be back in Mesa for a couple of days before we head back up to Flagstaff to our new apartment!

The new apartment we will be renting is in a perfect location. It is across the street from the music building. It is perfect for our first home. :) We will be moving in all of our stuff in 3 weeks so it is all set up for us when we get back to Flagstaff in July. I am so excited I can't wait! Everything is falling into place and before we know, we will be married and on our own. Its really exciting but so scary at the same time. I know that God has a plan for us and everything will work its way out.

I can hear Wedding Bells..... 38 days left!

Nearing the End of the Semester

2009-04-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

The spring 2009 semester is almost over! Only 2 weeks left until school is no longer a huge worry for a while. The end of the semester is always so hard because you are just so burnt out. Every professor thinks that their class is the most important and prevails above all. I hate that. It's not fair to us at all. Instead of making things easier for us they only make it more stressful. All you can really do is just keep your head up and push through it.

The only thing that has really kept me in tune with the end of this semester is what I am looking forward to...MY WEDDING!! It is so soon now and things are falling into place for that. My wedding dress is here and I will finally get to see it this weekend! I can't wait. :) Our invitations are ready to be addresses which will be a task in itself, haha, but I am so ready to just be able to focus all my time in the final preparations for that. Its only 57 more days so it should be a great journey until then!

My 21st Birthday

2009-03-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday March 26th was my 21st birthday! I had a blast a had a few drinks. It felt nice. my friends and family are amazing and i was so glad that I could celebrate with them. I had one drink right after midnight and it was really good! :) Even though it was my birthday I still went to all my classes and then work before I could really relax and enjoy my day. Work was entertaining because my coworkers thought I was crazy for being there and tried to get me to go home. I stayed but they took one of the blueberry coffee cakes and made a candle and sang me happy birthday at the end of the shift. It was creative I must say.

Once I got off work I came over to Greg's house where he threw me a small party. I had my closest friends over to celebrate and they enjoyed trying to encourage me to drink drink drink. haha. We had cake and just hung out and talked for a while. Nothing special but a great time to just hang out. I hadn't seen a lot of them since before spring break. I am a little tired today but feel that my alcohol intake has not inhibited me for today. I never really want to get to that point when I drink. I always want it to be a causal affair. Tonight Greg is taking me out to dinner and we are going to the Olive Garden here in Flagstaff. I might try some of their house wine or have a drink but it won't be anymore than that.

Now that I am 21 it feels like I am a real adult. I feel more responsible now and that I am not a little kid. Its a weird feeling but so cool at the same time.

First Day of March

2009-03-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

Awww March 1st! Today I made Chicken and Dumplings from scratch for our couples dinner and then to top off the night I made Chocolate covered Strawberries for dessert. Everything was delicious. :) It is a great way to start off the new month. Also, an exciting thing about March is that I turn 21 at the end of the month! I am not much of a drinker, but I do like the occasional sweet/fruity drink. I think the most exciting thing is that if I wanted to I could order a drink while out at a restaurant. Not that I am going to its just the fact that I can is what's exciting to me.

Things for the wedding are going well. It is getting closer and closer and I can't wait til' the day is here! There is only 3 1/2 months left! :) Our next biggest task is picking out our invitations. We have registered for our wedding so that is done. You can check out the wedding website to find out where we are registered at if you are interested. Other than that nothing else is really going on that is super exciting. There are 2 more weeks and then spring break. It will be a really rough couple of weeks but it just means that I will truly get to enjoy my break. The thursday before spring break I am 3 exams in that day. All of them in a row. I am going to die that day, but I will be so happy when it is going to be over.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Greg and I spent the day together snowboarding and skiing at Snowbowl. It was cold but the weather was really nice. The start of the day was a little slow because it was really busy. Everybody wanted to go down the mountain. After lunch was better because it cleared up a bit. I went into the snow park and decided that I wanted to try a few jumps. The first time I went down the row of three jumps I fell all three times and I bet it was pretty funny to watch. I went down the mountain and came back up and tried it again. I was successful my second time through until the very last jump were I completely biffed it and landed right on my butt. It really hurt and it took me a little while to get back up. I had a nice round purple and blue bruise. It is still a little sore but I have gotten over it. :) After the end of the day we were so tired. I guess I feel asleep on the way back to campus. I certainly don't remember the drive home.

We thought we might be too tired to go out for dinner on Saturday and also every place was going to be packed so we went out to dinner on Friday. We went to Olive Garden. It was still busy but it was well worth going a day early. I didn't get my gift though until Saturday. Greg made me wait. He got me a card that had coupons for me to redeem that say for example a massage or I get to pick all the TV channels/shows that I want to watch for the day. Also he got me a huge Hersey's chocolate bar for me to eat! A girl loves her chocolate. :) For dinner on Saturday we just ordered a pizza and ate in. That was the best decision that we could of made! We were so tired from snowboarding and skiing all day.

I love Greg so much. He made Valentine's Day this year very special!

My Dad

2009-02-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

My dad has been in the hospital since Saturday and is hopefully going home tomorrow! He has pancreatitis and has been in a lot of pain. He was able to eat some solid food today for the 1st time since Saturday and they took him off the IV fluids. That is always a good sign. He is also off the pain medication they had him on. He is still really weak and has some recovering to do but is on the road to recovery. Which is always a good thing. Thank you to all who knew and have been praying for him. He needs those prays still because he is still not 100%. We never know what life will throw at us, that is for sure.

Ski Trip 2009

2009-01-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

Over the last three day weekend, Greg and I went to Durango Colorado and went skiing and snowboarding with the college group from our church in Mesa, AZ. We left thursday afternoon and it was a 6-7 hour van ride to the cabin we have been staying at for years. There were 28 of us that went this year and I felt like it was the perfect size. We got situated Thursday night to get ready for the next 3 full days on the mountain.

Friday morning the group got up at 6:30am to get ready to go snowboarding and skiing. We had breakfast and then made our way to the mountain. The lifts opened at 9am so we were ready to head up the lift to the top of the mountain. My whole goal of the weekend was to get my brand new boots, bindings, and snowboard broken in! By the end of the first day I felt like I had my gear forever! It was a great feeling. :) We took a lot of blue runs down the mountain and caught up with some friends and went down the mountain together for some lunch. After lunch we took a little cat nap up at the lodge and was ready to go down the mountain again.

Day 2 and 3 were more amazing than the 1st day. The fellowship and getting to spend time with people we don't normally get to see a whole lot of was awesome. Greg and I had a few trails on the mountain but we were able to communicate with each other and grow closer as a couple! The mountain was gorgeous with all the different amazing views we got see that God created.

Hopefully Greg and I will be able to continue on the tradition of the ski trip and have just as an amazing time or even a better time. On Monday we made our way back home after an amazing trip. It was nice to be back in Flagstaff, but it was hard, at least for me, to leave Colorado and come back into the realm of reality.

Heading Back to Flagstaff

2009-01-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I will head back to Flagstaff. It is bitter sweet in a way because I am going back to the place I love to spend time and feel the most comfortable, but it also means that I have to go back to school and work on Monday. :( I am going back to school with a new goal and purpose so that should help keep me motivated. I can also say that I will be graduating with my Bachelor's Degree next year! My new major is Psychology with a minor in Biology. With this degree my plan is to go onto nursing school after Greg and I are married and he has started teaching and earning a salary. I will only have to go to school part time because I have a majority of the requirements taken already for the Community College Nursing Program. This is the plan. God my have something different for us that he has not shown us yet, but this is the direction I am feeling led to take. I am ready to start out the New Year and School Year with a bang.

Greg is still pursuing his Music Education Degree. He is set to graduate in May 2011. He passed his upper divisions in December and now preparing for his Recital in the Fall of this Year. His course load this semester is much lighter and should be less stressful. The other focus for both of us this semester will be preparing for our marriage. That is going to be a another course within its self! We can't wait for the semester to be over already so all we get to do is focus on our Wedding Day!

Carrie's Photos from 2008

2009-01-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

Engagement

2009-01-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

Leap of Faith
Who knew AZ could look like Hawaii :)
Taking a stroll
I totally won this battle! :)
Sweet Kiss!

Today Greg and I took our Engagement pictures! We went to the Mesa Arts Center and Free Stone Park. After taking these pictures, everything felt even more real to me. The reality that I am getting married to the man of my dreams. We have been together for over 4 years and are getting closer to being man and wife. Everything for the wedding is coming along great! Pretty much all of the major things it takes to have a wedding have been accomplished. We have a ceremony and reception site. We have our florist picked out along with our photographer. We have an idea what we want to do for invitations, but we still have some time to figure that all out. My dress and all of my accessories have been picked out, except my shoes, and I will have everything for my attire. My bridesmaids have been picked out and their dresses have been selected as well. My maid of honor is my best friend since forever Liz and I have 3 other bridesmaids. My colors are a light baby blue and a champagne peach.

Tickle Tickle hahaha.....
Tender moment...
Look at that air!

My Ring!
Just another day at the park :)

Getting Ready for Christmas

2008-12-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas is just around the corner and I almost have all of my Christmas shopping done. I can't believe the year is almost over. It feels like yesterday when 2008 started. This is my last Christmas as a single woman! By this time next year I will have been married for 6 months. :) I think the only real difference is going to be the amount of presents I will get next year. haha just kidding. It is definitely going to be different but so exciting. I have been working ever since I came home to earn back all the money that I have spent on Christmas this year. Things are as crazy as ever, but the end result should be what I am looking for. In a few days I get some time off to regenerate and get ready to go back for more work. I am excited to spend time with my family and friends this Christmas. The presents are nice but its the time with my family that I really enjoy the most. I wish every one a very Merry Christmas and I hope that you be safe!

Merry Christmas

Trying to Get My Slideshow to Work with Flickr

2008-12-18T00:27:00.001-08:00

So far I have not been able to get my pics up yet. It is getting really frustrating but I will figure it out sometime. It would probably help if it wasn't almost 2am. I will try another time.

My First Blog Entry!

2008-12-17T23:07:00.001-08:00

I have now managed to create myself a blog! Several of my friends have been telling me its the best thing ever and that I should get one. :) Well, I now have one. I will update the blog as often as I can. Goodnight everyone!