Best Valentine's Day Ever

I had the best Valentine's Day ever. But not for reasons you would expect.

I had been subbing in a Primary class for the past three weeks, so when the Relief Society asked for volunteers to help out at a missionary luncheon for the holiday, I jumped at the chance so I could get to know the sisters better since I hadn't really gotten the chance to do so since we've moved in. Besides, it had been a while since I participated in an act of service, and Phil would be at work during the luncheon anyway, so it wouldn't affect our time together that day.

When I got there, I found out the lunch was actually a part of a zone conference for the Sacramento missionaries – all 105 of them. I never served a mission myself, is that a lot? Because it blew my mind. My Relief Society president, Sister Anderson, poured her heart and soul into this luncheon. The Valentine's Day/Presidents' Day decorations we set up and the food we served (potato soup, sandwich wraps, sliced oranges and brownies/ice cream) were awesome and delicious. I wish I took pictures because everything looked so nice. Sister Anderson and I had made Valentine's Day cards for all of the missionaries earlier in the week, and she had added individual handwritten messages on each of them, encouraging the missionaries to do their best and letting them know how much we loved them – the missionaries loved those! And, hanging up at the front of the cultural hall was a huge banner with all the missionaries' signatures on it.

During the lunch, I got to talk to a lot of the elders and sisters (who were quite fashionable and super cute!) while serving them the soup. They were all so nice and easy to get along with (my favorite was an elder from France, he made me laugh). I was touched by their gratefulness toward us just taking the time being there and giving them food. After the lunch was over, the volunteer Relief Society/Young Women sisters were asked to come out so the missionaries could thank us. They sang to us Called to Serve and Love One Another. I almost cried during the second song because of how lovely it was and I just focused on feeling the Holy Ghost. It really was a sweet moment.

Afterward, we quickly cleaned up the tables and the kitchen. Most of the volunteers had left after that point, but I stayed around to chat with Sister Anderson and a girl who was still in Young Women (and who I bonded with instantly) when a couple of sister missionaries popped their heads in asking if we had any extra Valentine's Day cards since one of the volunteers accidentally threw theirs away during the cleanup. We felt horrible because we didn't have anymore and they thanked us anyway and walked away sadly.

I don't remember whose idea it was, but one of the two women suggested we go dumpster diving and find some Valentine's Day cards. We couldn't let the missionaries down, gosh dang it! They ransacked the garbage, while I just stood there and laughed at the scene. But, they did find five cards unscathed! So, we ran and found the sister missionaries and gave them the cards, haha. They were sooo happy. We found a few elders who wanted cards, as well.

I had such a good time there and even asked an older missionary on the requirements for couple missionaries because I would love to go with Phil on a mission some day. This opportunity to serve rejuvenated my love for our missionaries and serving in general.

I also had a nice Valentine's Day with Phil when he got home from work. We didn't do much because we splurged on Sacramento Comic Con tickets, so we were broke, but we did make delicious cheese stuffed manicotti for dinner, along with sourdough french bread and martinellis. He surprised me with an Amazon gift card and a bag of peanut m&ms (my fave). I love him so much and so grateful for everything he does for me!

Our new apartment

Ah, to have the Internet again. It's crazy how we have come to rely on it so much, but it really does make life a lot easier and much more enjoyable.

Anyway, we are officially settled in here in Sacramento. Technically, we live in a suburb 20 minutes outside of the city called Carmichael. When we first got in we were overwhelmed by the size of the place and the huge population that comes with it. But each day we go out for about a half hour to an hour and explore a different neighborhood in the surrounding area, and we are slowly adjusting to it. It's not too scary after all!

We love our apartment already. It's definitely the nicest place we have ever stayed in, though of course it is a lot more expensive. It's in a quiet, gated community, which we like. Though there is a rooster somewhere next to the complex that cock-a-doodle-dos all freaking day. And I mean all day. Anyway, we have gotten a lot of requests for apartment pictures, so here you go! (The fireplace is still funny to me.)

Our experience here has actually been really good so far, thanks to the ward we moved in. Everyone here is soooo nice. The stake missionaries live in the same apartment complex, so when we got here, a couple of them helped us get everything moved in. I had been in contact with the bishop a few times before we moved here, so when we got into town, he offered to take us on a little tour of the area, which helped us out a lot. We just came with everything we could stuff in our car, so he has even lent us an inflatable bed and sent out an email to the ward asking if anyone had extra furniture they could give us. We received the dining table, chairs and coffee table you see in the pictures from ward members, which we appreciate dearly! 

After sleeping on an inflatable bed for a week, however, we decided it was time to go out and buy our own furniture. We went to a legit furniture store to buy our items for the first time ever. Since we've been married, we've always had (free) hand-me-down furniture, which we felt blessed for, but we felt it was time to actually buy brand new furniture. Needless to say, we felt very adult, haha. But, holy cow, furniture is expensive! We can't believe how lucky we were to be given furniture before. We bought the bed set you see in the pictures, as well as the couch, chair and pillows in the living room. We could not be more excited!

And, I cannot forget to mention the weather. We went from 20-degree weather with lots of snow to sunny, 60-degree weather. It's been sooo nice. I do not miss the snow at all. I guess there's been a drought here, been it has rained a couple of times this week, so everyone was very excited about it. The ward members were just asked to focus their fasts next week on getting some more rain, though.

Phil started his job on the 15th, and everyone there welcomed him with open arms. The team he now works with (developer support engineers) even took him out to lunch on his first day! So far, he has really liked it; the work environment is awesome apparently, but just in case he ends up hating it for some reason, we only got a six-month contract for our apartment, so we can venture somewhere else if need be. I miss my family terribly, but I can see myself living here happily if it does turn out to be a good job. And, for those who are wondering, I am going to try out the housewife route for a while (since we only have one car and all right now). I'm hoping to find some remote writing opportunities, and I am working on a novel, so hopefully that works out! I will keep you all updated!