Dear Sniffles,

I didn't know if you quite understood my feelings towards you. Let me indulge you. I hate walking up in the middle of the night, not being able to breathe because of you. I hate blowing my nose in the middle of the class room because of you. I hate all the gargling noises I make because of you. I hate being tired all day because of you. I hope you now know, how I feel. I also hope you know that I am taking action! I haven't given up yet! I'm bringing out the big guns- namely Dayquil and Niquil. Yea, you better be scared.

Love,
Vanessa

Now this is talent.

Today, my art teacher showed us this clip and I thought it was incredible! 




 This was done entirely with salt.

You are the reason I wake up every morning.

There is an old man who had a round tummy.
 Everyday I pass him early in the morning.
Some days, he's in a jumpsuit.
Other days, he's in a cut out shirt and baggy shorts.
He listens to his music, with sturdy, large headphones.
I want to know what he listens to, what urges him on.
He used to walk slowly, up and down the street.
Not anymore. He runs without stopping. Without defeat.
Now, There is an old man,
But the round tummy can no longer be found.

Blessings in store.

This weekend was a spiritual explosion for me. Not only did we have an amazing Women's Conference, but one of our dear friends was baptized. It was an amazing process to witness. From the time and first met her until the day she accepted the gospel into her life and Christ as her Savior, I saw a magnificent change in her. She was filled with the joy that I want everyone in the world to experience. I am so completely happy for her. She is embracing and accepting Heavenly Father's love for her. She is taking the necessary steps to become closer to him. What a wonderful blessing that is.

Curt has known Callie for quite some time, and had a large impact on her conversion. He attended every one of her lessons and supported her in her struggles. It was not a surprise that she asked Curt to be the one who baptized her, which he was extremely grateful for and honored to do. It is such a wonderful and extraordinary experience to baptize your friend. Now, Callie and Curt will always have that bond. A very unique and special bond. One that he cherishes very much.

It was interesting though. Curt has never baptized someone in English before. It was always in Portuguese. So he had to say it a couple times before he said it correctly. I thought that was crazy. His first English baptism! All in all, the entire baptism was amazing. The speakers spoke with such conviction and the spirit was so tangible in the room. One quote which was shared resonated deeply with me.
"The Holy Ghost has the power to impress one's soul deeper than being in the very presence of an angel of God himself." I thought how could that be, but then Brent explained. An image fades over time, it loses color and conviction, but a feeling remains with you at all times. It becomes a testament and truth in our own being. The impressions of the spirit are a lot more difficult to erase. I loved that. And I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. He is such an essential part of our lives. I'm grateful that Callie is able to be blessed by his presence now.

Look at how happy she is!

Eternal friends.

Missionary moments.

Puttin us to work.

Last week, our bishop set up an appointment with us. We were called into one of his counselor's offices. We knew a calling was coming...we were preparing ourselves for nursery, crying babies, and dirty diapers from the moment we entered the family ward. I wanted them to get it over with! Then he asked us if we were ready to serve, really ready. I hesitated a little bit. I suppose were ready. Yes, I think we are ready. Maybe.
They started with me. I held me breathe for a few dramatic seconds. "Vanessa, you are called to serve....with the Young Women!" A sigh of relief. Yessss. No babies...yet. I am going to be working with the beehives! I am so super excited. I imagine sleepovers and crafts and cute handouts. This will be great, and kinda weird. If you think about it, a little more than a year ago, I was still in Young Women's. That's a little weird to me, but whatever!
Then Curt. He put on his serious face, wondering what could be in store for him. "You, Brother Isenbarger, are called to serve with....the Young Men!" Say what! We both completely skipped nursery. How that happened, I have no clue. But Curt will be Scout Master and Deacon's adviser. Oh ya, on top of that, Curt was called today to be on the service committee. So, pretty much we will never see each other again. Curt was telling me his responsibilities, and there were so many! He's in charge of camping trips, merit badges, lessons, activities, and lots more time consuming things. Even so, Curt will be amazing with these young men. He relates to kids so well, and I think they will look up to him a ton.
We both are so excited for our callings in the First Ward. This will be an exciting adventure and many great opportunities ahead.

Dating Ideas.

Curt and I were asked to do a fireside for kids about some dating ideas! We were super excited. Here's our list of ideas:

  FUNDATES.                     

·       Picnic

·       Pumpkin carving

·       Service projects

o   Bake cookies and ding dong ditch

o   Heart attack

o   Ninja yard work

o   Make dinner for a family

o    

·       Music

o   Impromptu concert

o   Practice and learn a song together to sing at church or to friends

o   Listening party (listen to an entire album only talking after the album is over)

o   Learn a dance

·       Artwork

o   Paint portraits of each other (blindfolded/with oven mitts/etc.)

o   Sidewalk chalk

o   a silly photo shoot

·       Learn something new together or have one person teach the other something they know

o   Book Binding

o   Knitting

o   Snowboarding

·       Games

o   Ninja

o   Signs

o   Mafia

o   Card games

o   Clue

o   Hide and Seek

o   Zombies

o   Boggle

·       Outdoor

o   Hiking

o   Leaf piles

o   Sledding

o   Ice skating

o   Snowmen

·       Places to visit

o   Church sites

o   Museum

o   Library

o   Thrift stores

double rainbow. hilarious.

Spicy Night

6:00 pm, Wednesday, Our Kitchen

It was about that time when our stomach's started to grumble. Thank goodness our freezer is stocked with veggies and sausage (once again) and Curt is such a great griller. Curt cut up green beans and sweet potatoes, added some sugar and spice. It was quite a delicious sight.

Then he got out his handy dandy apron (which he looks great in) (props to Jess and Lisa), and went to work. Let the charcoal burn and then throw on the sausage. Then VUA-la. we have a masterpiece (below).














And we thought it would be appropriate to watched the wonderful movie, Ratatouille during our meal. It was perfect.

Curt's Secret Output.

I'm not sure if many of you know this, but computer games are very relaxing. Actually, just one computer game - StarCraft. This is a game where one builds a city and army and battles other cities and armies. This is Curt's output for stress. When he gets home from a long day at work or school, he doesn't hit the bed or take a long shower. He goes straight to the computer and begins to play. I'm not quite sure what it is about it, but it helps him focus on school work and relax from his strenuous activities. So, perhaps if you are feeling a little stressed slide in this invigorating game and see what happens.

For more information, Wikipedia it. :)

An Inspiring Novel Indeed...

I barley just put down the book, dying to start An Echo in the Darkness, a continuation of A Voice in the Wind. It is one thing when the novel is intriguing and slightly convicting, it is an entirely different story when the novel inspires one to become a better individual. That is exactly what this novel does. I cannot explain to you how powerfully moving this piece is. I want to read it over and over again, diving deeper into the doctrine it proclaims. This is a fictional story, one fabricated through historical facts and information, combined with intricate and beloved characters.

You will fall in love with the main character, Hadassah. You will feel her pains, experience her joys, and grow with her throughout the book. Francine Rivers inspires an array of emotions, every one unique and very real.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It ties numerous stories together, all showing the mercies of the Lord. It is beautifully written, with passion and understanding of the human capacities. For the past week, I have not been able to put this book down. I love it! I'll let you know how the second book is, can't wait!

Shoo Fly, Don't Bother me.

There has been this fat, ugly fly buzzing around our apartment for the past week. I hate it. I hate flies. they are gross and ugly. They always get in the food and fly around your head. I have been trying to kill this booger for a while now, but today, something snapped and I wanted him dead. I walked around with my massive math textbook, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But he was too quick! I couldn't catch him. He was teasing me and laughing at me, I knew it. Eventually my dear husband suggested using something smaller and faster to kill our annoying friend. He is so smart. I pulled out my trusty flippy-floppy and hunted that fly. I snuck up on him, and pounced! I knocked him dead and now I can live in peace again.

Access Denied.

There's this restaurant/bar across the street from our apartment. It's always packed, with windows open and music blarrin.  Every day they put fliers on our cars, posting their breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. So, we decided to head on over and check it out. Super excited. We sit down and are about to order when they ask for our IDs. This is the down side to being 19 and underage, we get kicked out of a lot of places. Curt will just have to go alone...and in two years, I will let you know how The Varsity is.

Grill + Brats = all you need

After a busy day of errands, building bar stools (which looks awesome in our apartment), watching great football games all day with the fam, and taking a quick, leisurely run around town, what more could you ask for than a couple brats thrown on the grill??? 

NOTHING.

seriously.

Maybe it's because im from Wisconsin, and that's all we eat, but man. They are so goood.

change for the better?

It's crazy what marriage does to you. It's almost like you have been replaced by a responsible, dependable, and dedicated individual. You find yourself in the Library studying for tests that are NEXT week, working on homework before it is actually due, and being studious for once. This is a extreme change of pace and probably something we needed right about now. Time to kick it gear...or blog when your stuck on a few problems.

If you need us were in the secret underground library.

Breathe of Fresh Air.

I absolutely love when we are able to open all the windows in our apartment, turn off the AC and let good ol' Mother Nature ventilate fresh, cool, fall air in.

I also love when trees begin to change color. It's so exciting.

Things That Keep Us Going.

1. Birthdays. I have a deep love for birthdays. It doesn't even have to be mine. I just love them. You get to be childish and bask in pure reckless selfishness for an entire day, the day you were born. What a grand thing to recognize. And Curt's happens to be this weekend, September 5, 1985. Yes, he will be a QUARTER OF A CENTURY old. Holy Cow. This is definitely something to celebrate.
2. Weekends. It feels so good to finally make it to Friday, know that the next day there is no school. And guess what. There isn't any school on the day after that! It's incredible! It's even better when it's a HOLIDAY weekend. THREE days in a row without school. Beautiful.
3. Concerts. This may have to be on the top of my list. But right now this will do. The nearest concert, November 4, is the one and only SUFJAN (suf-ee-on) STEVENS. I cannot tell you how excited I am for this. Especially with his new release: All Delighted People. I can't get enough of it. He is amazing.

Much Aniticipated Moment.

So, for the past six weeks I have been painfully tormented by the fact that I could not participate in one of my most favoritest, most beloved recreational activities. I would get in a super grumpy mood when Curt would head out every Wednesday night, leaving me and my flimsy ankles behind. I would get even more grumpy when he would come home sweaty and exhausted, telling me how fun it was and all the great plays that occured. But last night I took a risk and headed out with Curt, anxious to slip into my cleats and run with a ball. Any ball, I didn't care. I just wanted to play. And I did.
Seriously, Wednesday night pick-up games are the highlight of our week. What more can you ask for that a bunch of people playing the sport they love, soccer. It's beautiful. It's not everyday you find people who don't know each other, uniting together with one purpose, to win. I love it. Curt loves it. I never want to lose it again.

Notion of Well Being.

I know what most people are thinking. Once you are married, it is inevitable that one's life will instantaneously transform into a monochromatic scheme of early nights paired with roman noodles. I would like to inform the world that that theory is utterly and completely irrelevant to married life. Marriage is the exact that that fufills every need and desire of an individual. It is the funnest thing ever, to be living with and married to the man/woman who is the reason you smile. Married life is a new chapter. Nay, a new book to be told. Our new story begins here,

Beauitful Cramer Family <3

Crazy Isenbarger Family <3

at the Chicago Temple. Not only were we sealed for time and all eternity, but we were blessed with the presence of many friends and family, all supporting us. On top of that, it was an absolutely gorgeous, not too hot, day in the middle of August. I cannot describe how happy we were. But, wait -- it got even better. The following day we had even more friends and family come to support and celebrate our marriage at our reception.

Wonderful picture #1

 Oh, you better believe there was dancing going on the entire night. And you better believe Cole, Pooma, Ashley and Curt were on the dance floor nonstop.

Wonderful picture #2

And if Curt and I were not on the dance floor, we were talking to all the wonderful people there. It could not have been a better night. Seriously, we are so blessed.