Adeus 2008!

Adeus 2008! Wow! I can't believe this year is almost over!! This time last year, I was doing the final touches on packing up my life and making the "trek" to Utah. I can't believe it was ONLY a year ago that I was living in Georgia! It seems much longer! Don't worry though, I don't consider myself a Utard yet.

Let's see, 2008 has been a BIG year for us! On January 2, 2008, my friend Alisha and I packed up my truck and started the "28-hour" drive to Utah. We had the truck completely FULL, cd's to listen too, money saved up, places to see and we had to make sure we made it by the first day of classes, which was on the 7th. In the car we went. Drove through MOST of the middle continental US, and made it to Columbia, MO on our first night! The next day we drove through the "borning" part of the country. You know, Kansas, those FLAT states, but I LOVED driving through them! We made it to Fort Collins Colorado on our 2nd day. We thought FOR SURE we would make it to Salt Lake the next day...then a HUGE snow storm hit! It was such a bad storm, they had I80 closed. Well...we didn't want to wait. We decided we would brave the snow and take I70 THROUGH the mountains instead. Why we thought driving through the mountains would be a smarter idea, I am not sure. I decided I would drive the first part, then when we had to stop again, Alisha would drive. We were right at about Vail, CO, driving pretty slow because of snow and ice on the roads. We went through Eisenhower Tunnel, hit a patch of ice and ended up centered on a snow bank with nothing but snow and trees below us. It is truly a blessing we didn't get in a major accident. We were on the far end of the street, and when we hit the ice, we swerved across the lanes of traffic, and didn't get hit. I was driving and completely shaken. Talk about being baptizd by fire...or I guess you could say snow in my case. We tried to reverse out of the snow, but we couldn't get out. Then, another blessing to us poor girls, SIX people NOT including the two officers who stopped helped to dig us out of the bank and onto road! I could not believe how many people were willing to stop and help us! It was amazing! Needless to say, Alisha drove afterwards for a little while. Finally, we made it into Utah. There is NOTHING more beautiful then Southern Utah in the winter. The snow just barely covers the red rock cliffs and it is the most gorgeous sight you will ever see. I knew the desert was pretty, I just didn't now how pretty. That is not the end of our adventures though. It started getting dark, and with the dark came the snow. I don't know if any of you have ever driven through Southern Utah before, but actual exits are few and far between. Most exits are "Ranch Exits." They don't have any hotels or gas stations. I think we did pass one that had a McDonald's though. We thought we'd be alright. We'd be able to make it before it got too dark to a hotel. Then, the snow really started to come down. I got nervous about driving in it and pulled to the side to let Alisha drive again. While she drove, I called 411 to see if they could help me find a hotel in the area. Service was scattered though. We drove behind a Semi-Truck for the majority of the end of the drive until FINALLY we saw a sign for a Best Western and a Motel 8. We pulled off the exit and plopped ourselves into the Best Western. (The Motel 8 was extra sketchy looking...like the hotel off Psycho!) I had Alisha tell Andy what had happened that day. I didn't want to hear him say "I TOLD you to go buy snow chains" Silly me though, he never even said anything about it. He just wanted to know we were alright. What a great guy! The next day, we made it to Salt Lake! FINALLY!

That was just the START to my year. Wow!

Andy and I were married on March 15, 2008 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. It was the best experience of my life! There is nothing more sweet then being married in the temple to the one you love for Eternity.











We had a week long cruise to the Bahamas! We went to Nassau, CocoKay and Key West! It was the best trip of my life!









We bought a Scooter around April.








We found out we were having our first baby, a boy to be named William Ray, in June. Yes, I found out when I was FOUR weeks pregnant. I have literally been pregnant FOREVER! Andy told me to not be so in tune with my body next time :) June is always when we made the drive BACK to Georgia for my Dad's wedding. The trip was fun, the wedding..well...I'll get used to that change.

In August, we moved into our amazingly adorable ONE-bedroom apartment at the U. I love it! I don't think my stuff loves it though...haha

Andy started another sememster at the U in the fall. It was a pretty good semester for him.

Halloween we dressed up as Esmerelda and Quasimodo.









We celebrated our SECOND Thanksgiving together and our One year anniversary from the day Andy proposed to me! Here we are on that day over a year ago!









The month of December has been great! We put up our first Christmas tree, celebrated my 21st birthday...three times...Celebrated our first Christmas! It really was a great year!

Tonight we are sending 2008 off in good old fashioned Fraser style! We're getting together at Andy's sister Cassie's, playing games and eating good food. I am hoping I can throw in some of my traditions from New Year's too. Like Martinellie's Sparkling Cider at Midnight. Watching Dick Clark's Rockin New Year's Eve and playing Monopoly until somone gets irritated! I am sure we won't be able to do all those things, but I'll be thinking about them throughout the night.

I am so very grateful to be blessed with such a wonderful family. To have a husband who loves me and puts up with my attitude most days, and doesn't stay angry at me for more then 5 minutes at a time. I am grateful to be blessed with my own home and to be starting a family.

2008 has been good to us! Let's hope 2009 will be even better!