Very Blessed

Lately it seems like things have just fallen into place. All I keep thinking is how very blessed we are.

First, if you haven't heard already, Chad accepted a job with Target at their headquarters in Minneapolis. He will be working on their pricing team, on the track to become a buyer. I wish I could express to you how proud I am of him. He worked so hard in school to prepare himself for this, then he worked incredibly hard in recruiting to secure a phenomenal job with an amazing company. Many people during the recruiting process, including myself, kept saying to him, "You are so lucky to have so many interviews and offers." Which was only a natural thing to say, considering he had to start turning down fly-out, final interviews with some really great companies at a time when most college graduates are lucky to find ANY job.  It finally dawned on me though that it wasn't his luck getting him these opportunities. It was the many years of preparation in school, internships, and jobs, plus countless hours of networking and recruiting. He worked SO hard for this and I'm so grateful. I also know that our loving Heavenly Father had his hand in this process, because I felt Him guiding our decisions. Many prayers were answered in leading us to this point.

One special blessing we received throughout this process was the possibility that my job could be transferred to Minneapolis. Earlier this year, Certiport (the company I work for), was purchased by Pearson VUE. Pearson VUE is headquartered in Bloomington, a city just south of Minneapolis. When I knew we were headed to Minneapolis, I requested to be transferred there and work out of their office. It got approved! I'll keep my same job, just work in a different place. It's such a blessing because I love my job. It amazes me that things fell into place months ago for everything to align for us and this move.

So, a few weeks ago we took a weekend trip out to Minneapolis to look for an apartment. It was so good for me to see the city and start to fall in love with it. We spent most of Saturday driving around because I wanted to feel familiar with the city before choosing a place to live. I'm pretty sure Chad thought he was sitting next to a broken tape on repeat for the amount of times I said, "It's so beautiful." I also wanted to check out where I'll be working (See picture above).  We had the special opportunity that night to experience the "Holidazzle." A lighted parade they do throughout the month of December. It was splendid!

Please enjoy the couple behind us. They spent most of the parade like that...

Sunday we were able to go to church at the ward we were pretty sure we'd end up in. It was great! We met some phenomenal people and the bishop seemed rather excited to put us to work. Well bishop, we're excited to go to work. The possibility of member missionary work has us so excited!

Monday was our day with the relocation agent that Target provided. We knew that by about 4 o'clock we would have to make a choice and get all of the paperwork completed before we caught a plane home at 7 o'clock. Crazy, but it worked out great! We had an amazing relocation agent who showed us the city and our options. It made our decision really easy.

We will be living downtown, just blocks from Target. My commute to work will be about the same it is currently and trust me, I don't mind the time to just think. So here are some pictures of our apartment:

Our windows overlook my favorite building in the city, the Basilica of Saint Mary. It reminds me so much of Europe and I LOVE it! Anyway, it all worked out perfectly and I'm incredibly grateful.

Last, but not least, we bought our first car together! We've looked and looked for what felt like forever, because we both love a good deal. We finally found the one. Our first buying experience was an amazing one and I highly recommend Nate Wade Subaru if you're looking for a car. Plus, I got the most important things for my commute in Minneapolis--all wheel drive and heated seats. Necessities for my survival. Let's just call this one an "early Christmas present to ourselves."

Anyway, I'm feeling incredibly grateful that everything's working out, even though sometimes it doesn't seem like it will. Trust God.

Stay tuned for some upcoming, fun adventures!

Locks of Love

Chad and I have been married for 7 and a half months now and in that time we have learned a lot of good things from each other. One of the best things that Chad has taught me is to worry less about what people think of me.

For quite some time now I've been debating cutting my hair. I've been postponing doing it because in my head I kept hearing comments friends and strangers have made about others in the past. "She just got married and now she's chopped her hair off. So typical." "I'm so glad you're not like all of those other girls who cut their long hair after having a baby." And other variations of that same type of thought. I've heard it from many different people and I didn't want to be the person others were saying things like that about. So I figured I would wait until Chad and I had been married for one year. Maybe then it would be more socially acceptable.

Well it hasn't been a year yet because I decided not to let what other people 'might' say or think guide my choices. Today, with the encouragement of my sweet husband, I cut 10 inches off.  I've always wanted to donate hair to Locks of Love, so I did it. I did it for those children who are suffering from hair loss. They deserve to live a normal life filled with confidence and I'm grateful I was able to play a part. I also did it for me though--to start a new chapter of my life where I worry less about what people think of me.

Before:

During:

After:

Side Note: If you live in Utah County and need a good hairstylist, I have one I highly recommend. Her name is Kali and she works at the Relik Salon in American Fork.

I'm so grateful to have learned from this very valuable lesson from Chad. He has dealt with a lot of people judging him throughout his life, but he kept doing what God wanted him to do. He didn't worry what all of the other people thought of him. I'm so lucky to have him for eternity. Thank you, my handsome boy!

Thank you also to my dear friend Amanda! She helped to inspire me to action with this post.

And to all the strangers on Pinterest who 'liked' and 'repinned' the haircut I was considering (above), without knowing that I'm recently married, thank you! You  helped me to act with confidence knowing that it's a great haircut regardless of if I'm recently married or recently had a baby ;)

Six Months!

I can barely believe it, but it's actually been 6 months since Chad and I were married! I feel like it was last month and Chad feels like it has been longer than 6 months. Funny how that works out. Maybe I'm just difficult to live with? Hehe.

We will have to celebrate by going to dinner or something later this month. We are spending this weekend in Salt Lake with Chad's brother and sister while his parents are in New York, then Chad has a crazy school and recruiting schedule this week. Of course we could always count the expensive churros we ate last night at the REAL Salt Lake game our celebratory act, right?

Today officially marks 6 months though and I couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate it than attending an LDS Temple dedication. In this case, the Brigham City Temple dedication. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the 139 operating temples on the earth today and the sacred ordinances that happen within those walls, specifically the sealing ordinances. I get to be with my amazing husband and family for time and ALL ETERNITY because of the covenants and ordinances received in the temple. I am so grateful for that knowledge and want to share it with the whole world.

Who knows, maybe I'll get a chance to share it with the "whole" world. You never know where the next six months will take us!

To learn more about LDS Missionary work and WHY we are so active in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and building temples, visit http://mormon.org/missionary-work.

Advice for the Singles

Over the last few months I have found out that three of my friends are struggling with infertility or serious health problems that decrease the likelihood of pregnancy. I can't even begin to imagine what they and their spouses are going through. It's a pain I've only partially felt by reading their blogs or talking with them.

In every instance though, I am confident that one day they will all be the most amazing parents, whether through adoption, in vitro, or natural pregnancy. They are all handling this trail with an amazing amount of faith and I can guarantee their marriages are stronger as a result. I absolutely idolize each of these friends.

With all that being said, my advice for all the singles out there is to...

Life is hard and it is bound to bring it's many trails and triumphant joys. Many marriages end in divorce because couples are unwilling to go through the trials together. Choose to marry someone who you know you can overcome hardship with, as well as someone who you want to celebrate every accomplishment with.

When Chad and I were dating we had a period that was filled with trail and hardship. I was confident in marrying him though because I knew, from that experience, that we can go through the best times and the worst times together and come out stronger.

After reflecting on the trails that my three friends are going through, I'm so glad that all of us followed this advice. They will all come out stronger and more united as a result of their trial. Chad and I will do the same when facing our trails.

As a side note, if you know of anyone who is looking to place a child for adoption, I know of a really great couple who are actively pursuing adoption: http://bradandemilymarsh.blogspot.com/. I, along with many others, will tell you what amazing parents they will be.

A Tearful Day

Yesterday was a tearful day, literally and figuratively. In the morning it was tears of joy and in the evening it was tears of sadness.

My Uncle Randy was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints yesterday morning by his son, Jeremy. It was such a happy moment to see him take this first step in the gospel plan! I am so happy for him and his family, because I know how much happiness living the gospel of Jesus Christ brings. Thank you Uncle Randy and Aunt LynnAnn for your examples of faith! I love you so much!

If anyone reading this blog wants to learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visit http://mormon.org/.

And, as anyone who knows me can imagine, the tears of sadness were due to the BYU-Utah rivalry essentially dying. Yes, the very emotional tri-ending was sad, but I'm mostly upset that we won't get to experience that emotional roller coaster in the coming years. Even losing to those icky Utes is better than no game. So shame on the coaches and athletic directors who let the rivalry die. College football will not be quite as good.

It's time for FALL!

As you have read, we had a busy and interesting summer. Now it's time for Fall! I love fall because it means the fruits and vegetables are ready to eat, football, the leaves are changing colors and providing beautiful scenery, football, extra time with the family, football, Thanksgiving and Halloween, and did I mention football? But, before I get caught up in those things, I want to tell you about a few things that have happened over the past month. Warning: It's not the shortest post you'll ever read. Clearly I need to post more often.

NYC

We went on an amazing trip to New York City as soon as Chad finished his internship. Chad spent the first few days there visiting with companies like Google, Bank of America, Citi, and Wells Fargo, through the Pathways to New York program. I flew in a day after him and spent my first day there tagging along with the Walkers--who were kind enough to let me join them on their adventures.

So, while Chad was busy learning about career options, I slept in, went on a bike ride around Central Park, ate yummy food, caught up with Amanda, and explored the city. It was a great day and I can't thank the Walkers enough for letting me join them.

Saturday and Sunday were extra great though because I felt like I was back in Europe--sort of. Nothing in New York City can compare with the beautiful things I saw and experienced in Europe, but exploring a new place, with Chad, brought back the same exciting feelings I had in Europe. I'm so lucky I get to have a lifetime and eternity of adventure with him! (Okay, so that may have been cheesy, but it's true!).

Saturday morning we slept in. First, because it was a vacation and your supposed to. Second, because Chad was exhausted from his early morning meetings with companies and late nights listening to Amanda and I talk for hours and hours (Oops!).

Our first activity of the day though was to visit the 9-11 Memorial. It was such a touching experience to be there and think of all those who lost their lives that day, those who lost their lives in the fight for freedom after that day, and those who continue the fight for freedom today. I got especially emotional after reading about the first responders who lost their lives. I consistently pray for our military members, but I forget to pray for our firefighters, police officers, and paramedics. I'm going to do a better job of remembering them in my prayers, because they are heroes too!

A little blurry from my phone. Sorry!

After the memorial we ate lunch, walked around Central Park and the Fashion District, and purchased tickets for Sister Act. We did things along the way, like watching a soccer game at Central Park, reminiscing outside Brioni, contemplating buying Psych shirts at the NBC store, and a lot of other fun and random things. We had a wonderful evening at Sister Act, then went back to Amanda and Derek's for another restful night.

Sunday was our day to travel home, so after sleeping in we went to brunch at the cutest cafe. The food was so good! After brunch we caught a taxi to the airport. It was my first time in a taxi so I had to take a few pictures. I'm pretty sure the driver thought I was crazy...He may have had a point...

A little blurry from my phone. Sorry!

...Chad may have been a little embarrassed too, but I did make him laugh and got an awesome picture out of it.

A little blurry from my phone. Sorry!

We made it to the airport in plenty of time after Chad "motivated" the driver. He truly is his father's son. We checked in and found out that both of our flights were overbooked, so we volunteered to be bumped to a later flight. The moral of the story is that we each got $300 travel vouchers, a free dinner at the airport, and we got home earlier than we would have. So. Lucky.

Needless to say, it was a great trip! As always, I wish we could have stayed longer, but it was so great to see Amanda and Derek and explore NYC.

YUBA

The "end of summer, beginning of fall" fun continued with a day boating at Yuba. We went with the Pope side of the family and had a great time!

My uncle Jason was nice enough (and patient enough) to take Chad and I out wakeboarding and slalom skiing. We learned about our muscles and the random places they can be found in the days following (Ouch!). It was great though and well worth it! We also rented jet skis, which were a lot of fun. It was great to see and spend time with family. We love them!

Sorry there aren't any pictures! I may have been too excited about being on the lake that I forgot to take any.

BIRTHDAY

Finally, the most recent of the big events was Chad's Birthday! Woohoo! I planned a couple of separate celebrations and he wasn't especially happy with me. First, because he hates the attention, but mostly because I made him  stop watching the University of Utah vs. Utah State football game.

Here's the story:
The night before his birthday, September 8, I planned a surprise party. Unknown to me was the fact that the Utah vs. Utah State football game was starting one hour before the party. I love football, but I definitely don't  care when the U or Utah State are playing--unless of course they are playing my Cougs. Well, Chad turned on the TV to watch the game. Right as his friend Dale came to pick him up to "go get dinner," Utah State blocked a punt and scored. Of course the response from Chad, at the urging to go get dinner, was "I can't leave now! Utah State might beat the U!" After a lot of convincing, Dale and I talked him into going about 2 blocks away to get Sensuous Sandwiches--a grand total of about 8 minutes or so for me to get the cake out, prep the apartment, and usher all of the guests in. As you might have guessed, it didn't work out so well. He raced back into the apartment, with the sandwiches, and two of us yelled "Surprise."

What can I say? I married someone who was born on the day BYU upset #1 ranked and defending national champion, Miami. He loves his football!

Epic failure: The only picture I have from that night is me stuffing my face with a sandwich after the party.  

It turned out great though and has provided a lot of laughs over the past week. It was fun to see so many of our friends that we haven't seen in awhile.

We celebrated his actual birthday by eating Cafe Rio for lunch, going to the BYU Football game, and going to dinner with our families at the Old Spaghetti Factory. It was great! I love that boy so much! It amazes me sometimes how much I love him more and more every single day. I'm so proud of all he has accomplished and all he is preparing for. Especially right now as he is preparing to graduate and start full-time work, I'm feeling extremely grateful for the type of man I married. He is so hard working, thoughtful, and loving. The company that hires him is getting a one-in-a-million kind of recruit. I love you, Chad Hyland!

Now, on to fall!

Our First Summer

The last two summers have been absolutely crazy. Chad and I spent part of last summer in Europe and the rest of the summer spending every possible moment together. In other words, we were practically inseparable. This summer, our first married summer, has been a little different. Work travels have kept us apart for a good majority of the summer. It's been tough, but it's made us appreciate the time we were able to have together.

I will admit though, on multiple occasions I've thought, "Retirement is going to be the best! I'll get him all to myself, all day long." I slap myself back to reality though and recognize that we are only at the beginning of our careers. A wise man once said, "Find joy in the journey!" That's exactly what I intend to do.

Here's a recap of our crazy first summer:

Chad left to LA.

Chad left to Orlando.

Kandace left to San Diego.

After those three weeks of travel, we had an amazing weekend in Bear Lake celebrating G & R's 50th Wedding Anniversary (Grandma & Grandpa Hyland).

The whole family was able to be there and it was so fun!

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was hiking around Minnetonka Cave.

Side note: Did I mention that I'm convinced I married into the greatest family? Every single week Chad was away this summer I got a text or phone call from more than one of the Hyland's checking in on me. I love them!

After we got home from Bear Lake, we went to Alpine to house-sit for my family while they were in Portland. We were having an enjoyable experience until one of my co-workers pointed out the smoke coming from the mountainside. Sure enough, my beautiful Alpine mountainside was on fire.

I immediately left for home and made the awful call to inform my parents. As soon as I got there, I packed up their lists of requests in case we had to evacuate. Fortunately, we didn't have to evacuate. Our neighbors a few streets to the North and one street to the East were evacuated though. Crazy!

We tried to salvage the rest of our 4th of July by going rafting and zip-lining with Chad's family. It was so much fun!

Then...Chad left to Reno.

Chad left to Reno, again.

Chad left to Helena, Butte, Albuquerque, Amarillo, and Lubbock.

Kandace left to Las Vegas.

Chad left to Reno, again.

This last weekend we were able to go camping with my family. We had a lot of fun shooting guns, playing cards, and just enjoying time together. We also went to the rodeo in Heber, which I always love.

Next up: Chad AND Kandace leave for NYC. Hallelujah for a trip together!

The Business Couple

I got up really early this morning to take Chad to the airport. He began his internship with Protiviti today and they flew him to the LA office for intern training. He is the only intern in the Salt Lake office this summer, so they wanted him to do his first two days of training with other interns. I was pretty sad though to be dropping him off at the airport. This is our first time apart since we have been married and I'm sure I'm not going to like it.

Leaving our Apartment Complex this morning

Fortunately this is only a 2 day, 1 night adventure because I pick him up at the airport late tomorrow night. Unfortunately, he leaves me again Sunday morning for Orlando where he will spend the week participating in simulations for the Protiviti Intern Challenge. Don't worry though, I'll pick him up again next Friday night and then leave him on Sunday evening for a business trip of my own!

This pretty much summarizes how our summer will be. It's going to stink being away from each other, but we are so grateful for the opportunities Protiviti and Certiport are giving us to learn new skills and develop our careers.  Plus, doesn't the saying go "Distance makes the heart grow fonder?"

Here's a list of places we know at least one of us will travel for business this summer:

• Los Angeles, California
• Orlando, Florida
• San Diego, California
• Reno, Nevada
• Helena, Montana
• Butte, Montana
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Lubbock, Texas
• Albuquerque, New Mexico

Kind of crazy. All I know is, you may as well start calling us "The Business Couple."

Memorial Day Weekend

We spent the first part of our Memorial Day weekend at G & R’s (Grandma and Grandpa Hyland’s) cabin at Fish Lake. It was tons of fun, especially because I finally feel like a “true Hyland.” Fish Lake is a tradition for them, so I needed to experience it to be a “true Hyland.”

Here we are with G & R:

We played lots of Hand and Foot; Chad’s uncle’s set up a Frisbee golf course through the trees (I found out quickly that throwing a Frisbee, especially through the trees, is not my greatest strength); and, we ate lots of yummy food.

A highlight of the weekend though was attending church in Loa. It was held in a beautiful, old church building. The inside reminded me a lot of the Provo Tabernacle because we got to sit up in the balcony. Chad and I spent a good portion of sacrament meeting reminiscing about the stupid things people used to do in our singles wards during Stake Conference in the tabernacle. Besides quietly laughing and reminiscing, it also allowed for some time to think about my ancestors and those who have served and currently are serving in the military. I’m so grateful for them. Tears come to my eyes just to think of them. Thank you will never seem to be enough!

Here’s the exterior of the building:

We came back Sunday night so we could go to my brother’s baseball games on Monday. He did awesome! Their team took second place out of some very talented teams and I couldn’t have been prouder. Go Lone Peak!

I finished off my weekend by going to my best friend’s bachelorette party (Chad invited some of his friends down to our apartment for a guy’s night while I was gone). Chelsey gets married TOMORROW to one of the best guys I know, and I’m proud to say I played a role in them meeting and falling in love...

Ryan and I were friends our freshman year and I wrote him while he served an LDS mission in Uruguay. Chelsey and I were “random” roommates my sophomore year and we quickly realized we were going to be the best of friends. In my letters I started telling Ryan about my amazing roommate and how excited I was for them to meet. He responded awhile later with a letter written specifically for Chelsey enclosed within my letter. It took off from there. He came home. They met. They fell in love. They get MARRIED TOMORROW! Two of the best people I know get to spend forever together! I’m so excited for them! Marriage is the greatest.

Anyway, needless to say, it was a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Education = Always Learning

Last week Certiport, the company I work for, announced that we were acquired by Pearson VUE, the computer-based testing arm of Pearson, the world’s leading education company. No, I did not lose my job through this acquisition. In fact, no Certiport employee was terminated in this acquisition. We were all considered “a great addition to the Pearson family” according to the CEO of Pearson VUE. I’ve spent this last week learning more about the company and can definitely say, “I’m a proud new addition to the Pearson family.”

Pearson’s slogan is “Always Learning” and I absolutely love it. Why? Because I passionately believe in the value of education and that education should never end. Of course formal education should come to an end [Seriously, friends, graduate from college already :) ], but we should constantly strive to learn something new and develop our skills. I also love Pearson’s slogan because they LIVE it. They provide multiple opportunities for education and learning for their employees and employees families. Yay!

This acquisition has also made me think back about how the value of education was instilled in me from a young age. My parents always encouraged my siblings and I to excel at school. They would read with us, help us with our math, assist us in paying tuition, and stay up late into the night with us finishing a project. I value so much now the time they spent with me instilling the value of education. I’m sure it is something I will carry with me and promote throughout my life, especially with my own children. And, I’m so glad to know Chad’s parents did the same for him in teaching the value of education.

Now, as much as a swore to myself that I would NEVER be a teacher, I find myself deeply entrenched in the education industry—and I’m very happy with it! Teachers, continue on with your quest to instill a love of learning within your students. You have a special gift and I’m proud to support you, even though I couldn’t do your job. I’ll continue doing my job, support worthy education causes like The Perpetual Education Fund (http://pef.lds.org/), and continue “Always Learning.”

Honeymoon

We've been home from our honeymoon for a week now and despite both of us making trips to the doctor's office this week, it has been pretty good. It was hard to come home from paradise, but reality is good too.

So here's to reliving our week in Cancun and remembering how fun it is to spend every day together...

We knew we were in for a treat when we were welcomed with glasses of champagne into our beautiful resort lobby (We obviously had to turn down the nice champagne welcome).

This was the stunning view from the lobby.

Once we checked in we were whisked away on a golf cart.  Much to my glee, we arrived at our room--an ocean view, swim-up suite.

The view from our room was incredible and so was the resort, so we obviously spent our first few days just hanging out.

We read, swam, and enjoyed our complimentary dinner on the beach and breakfast in bed.

We relived Switzerland with a life-size chessboard.

Cancun 2012

Switzerland 2011

We even witnessed a few weddings.

After a few days on the resort we decided to start our adventures off the resort. We went on the Tulum and Xel-Ha tour. It was great to be back on a bus together, again...

Tulum was spectacular. The Mayan's thoroughly amaze me.

And, Xel-Ha was also great. It was my first experience snorkeling and once I figured out how to keep my lenses from fogging, I was good to go. Trick - spit in them, rub it around, dip them in the water, wet your face = success.

The following day we went on the Snorkel Xtreme tour. We started out this tour by ziplining through the jungle, then rappelling off a tower. I only screamed once. After that it was amazing!

The third part of the Snorkel Extreme tour was snorkeling in a Cenote (an underground river where the get their freshwater). It was the coldest water I've ever been in because it doesn't get any sun, but it was well worth it. There were points where the stalactites were inches from our head. So cool!

To finish off the Snorkel Xtreme tour they took us out to a reef to snorkel. We saw sea turtles, stingrays, schools of fish, and lots of other beautiful sea creatures. It was surreal. Now I've got to go get scuba certified!

For our last off-the-resort adventure, we swam with the dolphins and fulfilled my life-long dream. Anyone remember me saying I wanted to be a dolphin trainer in Elementary school? It was soooo cool! The highlights were laying Superman and having two dolphins push me up out of the water, then riding belly-to-belly with a dolphin swimming upside down. It almost felt like I was a trainer, so I can say I essentially fulfilled that dream. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of pictures from that day because they wanted us to pay $80 for 3 pictures on a disk. It only went up from there. Ridiculous. So, we walked away with only this picture.

Seriously, Cancun was amazing! It made me reflect on how great it was to travel across Europe with Chad and spend nearly every day of 5 weeks with him. We've now traveled to 11 countries together and we can't wait to travel to many, many more. Which country should we visit next?